Deja Vu
by Andra Marie Mueller
Summary: When Doggett and Reyes are killed during an X files investigation, Mulder's search for justice uncovers more family secrets and reunites him with an unlikely ally.
1. Chapter 1

"**Déjà Vu"**

**By**

**Andra Marie Mueller**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ** This story takes place in the a/u established in my "Reunion" series. All things X Files are the legal property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and 20th Century Fox. But they wouldn't recognize their characters in my world anyway. Thanks to BEKi for her input on the original ST:VOY version of this story and this rendition done XF style. And thanks to Shea for the usual reasons, especially for the online laughs 

"_As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man_**." – Proverbs 27:19**

As the flames consumed his flesh and the screams of his dying partner faded away, Doggett realized his life was about to end and allowed himself a nanosecond of rage at the futility of it all. Using his last ounce of willpower, he focused his last conscious thought on the joy in his children's smiles, and the taste of Jessica's kiss. His brain reached for the memories and clasped them tightly to his consciousness. Then the fire overwhelmed him at last, and he felt a brief flash of searing pain before awareness vanished into a black void of nothingness.

**FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA: TWO HOURS EARLIER**

It started as an ordinary day, with nothing to indicate how it would end or the anger and anguish it would leave in its wake. Jessica awoke alone to find the sun streaming through the bedroom windows and the telltale rustling in the bathroom told her that John was all ready up and about.

_The early bird that catches the worm has nothing on John_, she mused silently.

"Good mornin', beautiful," Doggett greeted softly.

Jessica glanced over her shoulder to find her husband standing in the doorway, dressed in a charcoal gray suit and tie with a sky blue shirt that matched his eyes. "Good morning yourself," she greeted. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while," Doggett answered, and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "The twins are still sleepin', but the Three Stooges wanted breakfast."

She smiled at his use of the nickname he had bestowed on their dogs. As the result of an off hand remark made by Mulder, Grace and Matthew had given Doggett a puppy for his 50th birthday three days earlier, a female bulldog they had named Georgia. She was all of thirteen weeks old and weighed less than a sturdy pair of boots, yet she was all ready taking charge of the family's other dogs, two extra large Saint Bernards named Spooky and Semper Fi.

"Just goes to show that when you're dealin' with females of any species, size don't matter," Doggett had observed wryly.

"What about you?" Jessica asked. "Do you have time to have some breakfast with me before you head to work?"

"I wish I did, but I have a meetin' with Deputy Director Kersh this mornin'."

"Dare I ask what about?"

Doggett shrugged. "I have no idea, but dollars to donuts it ain't cuz he wants to commend me for my work on the X files," he responded dryly.

"Very funny, Sunshine."

They exchanged a smile as he leaned over to give her a warm kiss. "I'll call you later to see what you want to do about dinner."

"Don't forget that the twins are staying with Fox and Dana tonight," Jessica reminded him. "Will wanted them to have a sleep over."

"I don't suppose we could convince them to take the dogs, too?"

"Good-bye, John."

"Bye, Jess."

**HOOVER BUILDING – WASHINGTON D.C.**

Walking through the front doors of FBI Headquarters, Doggett had just reached the elevator when he heard his name being called. "John, wait up…"

He turned expectantly to see Mulder approaching him. "Mornin', Mulder," he greeted.

"I'm glad you're here. I just got a message from Greg Burlinksi and he wants to see us right away. Apparently one of the hospices that is using the alien technology is here in D.C."

Doggett sighed. A former Navy S.E.A.L., Burlinski had been given an honorable discharge following a covert mission in Europe wherein his unit had been ambushed and he had been the sole survivor. The government had lied to the public and said that the soldiers had been killed in a routine training exercise. They had declared the deaths a "tragic accident" and closed the case after only minimal investigation. Upon his return home, Burlinski had begun telling anyone who would listen that his unit's real mission had been to destroy a secret facility where doctors were using alien technology to heal critically wounded or terminally ill patients. Because his brother was one of Jessica's officers at Alexandria P.D., word of his ranting had reached her, and she in turn had presented his story to Mulder. The initial interview with Burlinski had not yielded any proof of his claim, as he was unable to provide the agents with the specific location of this mysterious facility. Yet what he had told them regarding the procedures being done there too closely paralleled the genetic manipulation that had been done to Jessica so many years ago, and Mulder and Doggett had continued to pursue the case.

"I've got a meetin' with Kersh in about two minutes, so you and Monica should head on over to see Burlinski. I'll contact Jess when I'm done with Kersh and we'll meet you there."

Mulder nodded and Doggett stepped into the elevator, then rode up to the fourth floor and made his way down the hall to Kersh's office. His secretary was nowhere in sight, so Doggett approached Kersh's door and knocked twice, then stepped inside at Kersh's muffled "Come in."

"Good morning, sir," Doggett greeted.

"Good morning, Agent Doggett," Kersh echoed. "Thank you for being prompt. Have a seat."

Doggett settled himself into a chair in front of Kersh's desk, and the other man waited until he was comfortable before continuing. "We're both busy men, so I'll get directly to the point," he said. "As you're aware, the Bureau has yet to find a permanent replacement for Brad Follmer. Given the fiasco that arose last year after his connection to Nicholas Regali was revealed, the powers that be have been reluctant to put just anybody in the Assistant Director's chair. They last thing they want or need is another reason for the press to rake the Bureau over the coals."

"Frankly, sir, I'm not cryin' in my coffee over the Bureau's bad publicity," Doggett replied dryly.

Kersh stifled a sigh. _He has been spending too much time with Mulder_, he thought to himself. Aloud he said, "Based upon your performance since joining the X files, as well as a strong recommendation from A.D. Skinner, the position of Assistant Director is now being offered to you."

Surprise flickered across Doggett's rugged features. "You're offerin' me a promotion?" he prompted.

"Yes. I don't know why you're so surprised, John. The powers that be offered to bump you up in rank once before, but you chose to stay with the X files. Agent Reyes and Agent Mulder seem to work well enough together, and now that you have a family to consider, we felt you might be ready to accept a position with a more regular work schedule. I'm certain Captain Doggett would appreciate the chance to spend some extra time with you."

The faintest of smiles creased his face. "With all due respect, sir, you're not tryin' to promote me simply because you think it'll make my wife happy to have me workin' nine to five," he replied.

"Perhaps not," Kersh allowed, "But from where I sit that would be a strong motivator to give the offer serious thought. Agent Scully gave up the X files three years ago in order to spend more time with her family. You could do worse than to follow her example."

Doggett pointedly ignored the small voice in the back of his mind whispering, _He's right_. "I'll need to talk to Jess before I make a decision either way," he demurred.

"Of course. Talk it over with Captain Doggett and let me know as soon as you've reached a decision."

"Yes, sir."

Rising to his feet, Doggett bid Kersh farewell and exited his office.

**ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA**

Jessica was in her office reviewing a case with one of her homicide detectives when a knock on the door signaled the arrival of another person, and they glanced up as Doggett opened the door.

"Mornin', Captain," he greeted with mock formality.

"John…this is a pleasant surprise."

"Unfortunately it's a business call."

"Ah." Jessica gestured at her detective. "Special Agent John Doggett, Detective Royce Davis."

The men exchanged a handshake as Davis remarked, "Nice to meet you, Agent Doggett, although with the way the captain speaks about you, I was expecting you to be ten feet tall and bulletproof."

Doggett gave his wife as amused smile as she shot Davis a quelling look. "Unless you want to start a new career as a stand up comedian, Royce, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself," she cautioned.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Bidding them farewell, Davis exited the office and Jessica waited until the door had closed behind him before addressing her husband. "So what brings you here?" she asked.

"Mulder got a call from Burlinski this mornin' askin' to meet with us," Doggett told her. "Apparently there's a clinic like the one he told us about here in D.C."

"And what makes him willing or able to tell you where this one is, when he didn't know the specific location of the one his friends died trying to find?"

"He called us for a reason."

"Maybe because when it comes to anything remotely resembling an X file, he knows all he has to say is 'Jump' and Mulder will ask 'How high?'."

Doggett cocked an eyebrow. "Somethin' buggin' you, sweetheart?"

"Yes, actually. I'm getting a little tired of my brother dragging you along on every wild goose chase that crosses his path. Once in a while it would be nice if he could find someone else to follow along whenever he gets the urge to go ghost busting. It's not like he doesn't have another partner."

"Why is it okay for him to drag Monica into his business and not me?" Doggett queried. "Hell, the man's my brother-in-law."

"To paraphrase a familiar quote, that doesn't make you his keeper," Jessica countered. "And Monica isn't married with children."

"So that makes her more expendable?"

"That's not what I said," she responded tightly. "Despite her lingering feelings for you, I've come to consider Monica a friend. She's always been there for you and Fox when push came to shove and I'm grateful for that. But I won't stand here and pretend she means as much to me as you do. You're my husband and the father of my children, John; I won't let Fox's obsession take you away from me."

Confusion was evident on Doggett's rugged features. "Where is all of this comin' from, Jess?" he asked. "It's not like I haven't been in dangerous situations before, with or without Mulder."

"If it were still just the two of us, then I'd be willing to let you and Mulder chase little green men until the cows come home. But we have the twins to think about now, and Mulder has Will. Don't you think its time the two of you put the brakes on?"

Doggett flashed his wife a faint smile. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been talkin' to Kersh," he replied dryly. "When I saw him this mornin', he offered me a promotion to Assistant Director and said now that I have a family I should start considerin' a more stable work environment."

Jessica returned his smile. "Well then for once he and I agree on something," she said. "You and I had this discussion when I was offered the promotion to Captain."

"So you're sayin' you want me to quit the X files and accept the promotion?"

"I'm saying I want you to take a long, hard look at the rest of your life and decide how you want to spend it," Jessica corrected. "I love you, John, and if in your heart of hearts continuing your work on the X files is truly want you want, then I will support you 100. But if you're only staying with it out of some misguided loyalty to Fox, than maybe you do need to reconsider your career track."

The ring of his cell phone prevented any response from Doggett, and he pulled it out of his jacket. "John Doggett."

"It's me," Mulder's voice replied. "Where are you?"

"I'm with Jess. Where are you?"

"Burlinksi told us where to find that hospice," Mulder said, and gave him the address. "Monica and I will meet you and Jessica there."

"We'll see you in a few minutes."

Doggett ended the call and replaced the phone in his pocket. "That was Mulder," he told her. "He got an address for the hospice Burlinski told us about and he and Monica are gonna meet us there."

"We'll take my car," Jessica said. "Those cars the Bureau makes you drive practically scream 'federal vehicle'."

"And yours is any less conspicuous with the 'DONT TCH' plates?"

"I couldn't find a way to condense 'Property of John Doggett' into seven letters."

"Very funny, sweetheart."


	2. Chapter 2

**WASHINGTON D.C.**

Reyes and Mulder were waiting outside a large, abandoned building in downtown D.C. when Jessica and Doggett arrived and parked her Expedition near the entrance. They climbed out of the car and Jessica retrieved her gun from the glove compartment before walking over to join the others.

"It doesn't look like much on the outside," Jessica remarked.

"Were you expecting a sign out front that said 'E.T. found here'?" Mulder asked dryly.

"So what's the plan?" Reyes prompted.

"I thought we'd split into pairs and divide and conquer," Mulder said. "You and I will go around back and enter through the back door; John and Jessica can go in through the front. We'll communicate via our cell phones."

"Has it occurred to you that even on the one in a million chance we do find evidence there are questionable medical practices being performed here, nothing we find can be used in a court of law because we entered the building without a search warrant?" Jessica prompted.

"Spoken like a true police captain," Mulder replied.

"Someone in this little party has to remember the rules."

"Can we save the squabblin' for later?" Doggett interjected. 'We have work to do."

"Sorry," Mulder and Jessica muttered in unison.

Reyes and Doggett exchanged an amused look, then the foursome split into pairs and started toward the building. Drawing their guns, Jessica and Doggett cautiously entered via the front door and at first glance, found nothing unusual. It appeared to be a typical office, with a small reception area and a pair of doors leading to the heart of the building. A single landscape painting adorned the far wall, the only décor in the stark room, and the silence seemed to indicate there was no one present.

"Looks like nobody's home," Jessica observed quietly.

"Let's see where the doors lead," Doggett said.

His wife nodded in silent acknowledgement, and followed a step behind as he approached the doors. Freeing one hand, he reached down to turn the knob, and the door swung open. A corridor perhaps fifty yards long contained half a dozen doors on either side, and at the end of it was another set of double doors. As with the reception area, the walls were painted white and free of any decoration.

"I guess there wasn't much room in the budget for interior decorating," Jessica remarked.

"Or maybe they wanted to give the place a feel of sterility by avoiding any color," Doggett suggested.

"Let's see what's behind these doors. I'll take the six on the right; you take the six on the left."

"Be careful," Doggett instructed. "Some of 'em could be booby trapped."

She nodded again, and they carefully began testing each door. The first two on each side were locked, and as they approached the third, they heard the door leading to the corridor swing open. Jessica and Doggett spun around with their guns leveled, only to find Reyes and Mulder approaching them.

"Are you nuts, Mulder?" Doggett asked as he lowered his gun. "We could have shot you!"

"Sorry," Mulder muttered. "There was no back door, so we came back around front to help you guys. Have you found anything?"

"Just a bunch of locked doors," Doggett told him.

"It is still relatively early," Jessica reminded them. "Maybe whoever is working out of here just hasn't shown up yet."

"I'll keep watch out front to make sure we don't have any party crashers," Mulder said. "If you find anything in these rooms, call me."

Doggett nodded, and Mulder headed out of the building as the others made their way to three of the four remaining doors. Monica and Doggett's were both locked, but when Jessica tried the knob of the second to last door, it slowly swung open.

"We've got an open door here, guys," she announced, and leveled her gun in front of her as she stepped inside. Keeping her gun aimed and ready with her right hand, she used her left to feel along the wall for the light switch, and she flipped it on just as Reyes and Doggett stepped into the room behind her.

"Sweet Jesus…" Doggett muttered.

"Somehow I doubt He has anything to do with whatever this stuff is used for," Jessica responded.

A large metal examination table was bolted to the floor in the center of the room, surrounded by EKG monitors and other medical equipment. The far wall was a series of shelves lined with specimen jars containing liquids of various colors and other substances best left undefined, and the countertop was stacked with various known and unknown medical instruments.

"Well it certainly appears that someone is doing some sort of medical procedures here," Reyes observed. "All we need to figure out is who, what and why."

Jessica glanced at the exam table, and was suddenly assailed by memories of a similar table that she had been strapped to during her imprisonment in Mexico three years ago. A mixture of fear and disgust registered in her elegant features as she gave an involuntary shiver. Standing a few feet away, Doggett caught her reaction and walked over to stand beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. This just brings back bad memories."

"Stuckhold?"

She nodded, and he used his free hand to give hers a reassuring squeeze. Jessica flashed him a grateful smile before speaking again. "You guys check the last door," she said. "I'm going to get Fox."

Leaving Reyes and Doggett to their search, Jessica made her way back down the corridor and through the reception area to exit the building.

"I'm going to try the last door," Reyes said. "You keep searching in here and see what else you can find."

Doggett nodded and began rifling through the drawers as Reyes crossed the hall and jimmied the knob on the last door. It too was unlocked, and Reyes swung the door open to reveal a room similar in appearance and equipment to the one she had just exited. Yet just as she was about to begin searching the room, she noticed a loud ticking noise coming from the cabinets.

"I hope that's just an overly loud time clock," she muttered to herself.

Walking over to the cabinet, she released a deep breath before swinging open the doors, and discovered a small black box sitting on the bottom shelf. Numerous wires that appeared to run into the back of the cabinet surrounded it, and a small digital display read 0: 08.

"Damnit!" Reyes declared, and spun on her heel to shout at her partner. "John, get out of here! It's a trap!"

Across the hall, Doggett heard the shout but could not understand what she had said, and he stepped out into the corridor just as Reyes ran out of the other room.

"What are you shoutin' about, Monica?" he asked. "I couldn't make out what you were sayin'."

She swiftly gestured toward the other room. "This is a trap," she repeated. "There's a bomb in there that's going to explode in less than ten seconds."

"Son of a bitch!" Doggett snarled, and shoved Reyes in front of him as they bolted for the door.

Oblivious to the impending explosion, Jessica strode out of the building and glanced around in search of Mulder. She spotted him a few feet away leaning against her car, and he glanced at his sister questioningly when she approached.

"Did you find something?"

She nodded. "One of the last two rooms we checked was open, and inside was a virtual Pandora's Box of mysterious medical equipment. There's an exam table in the middle of the room surrounded by a bunch of monitors, and there's all kinds of rather nasty looking specimen jars lined up against the wall. Thankfully I didn't close enough to see what was actually inside of them."

"Well I can pretty much guarantee its nothing we've ever heard of before," Mulder replied. "I'm going to get a couple of samples and have forensics run an analysis on them."

"Maybe you should have Dana do it," Jessica suggested. "Until we know exactly who – or what – we're dealing with, it's probably better to keep whatever we find limited to as few people as possible."

"Good idea, little sister. There may be hope for you yet."

"Gee, Fox, thanks so much for the vote of – "

Jessica abruptly broke off in mid-sentence, and Mulder turned around to see her stopped in place and doubled over. Concern flickered across his handsome face as he quickly made his way to her side.   
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Jessica answered. "I was just overcome with a wave of nausea, and I got dizzy for a second. It should pass in another minute or two."

"Maybe whatever you ate for breakfast didn't agree with you," Mulder suggested.

"If I had eaten something for breakfast maybe I'd agree with you," Jessica responded.

"Skipping breakfast is not a healthy way to start the day," Mulder chided. "You stay here until it passes. I'm going back inside to see what you found."

The captain immediately opened her mouth to protest, but at her brother's expression, wisely changed her mind. "Fine. I'll stay out here and keep watch. That place triggers my claustrophobia anyway."

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud "whoosh", and they glanced at the building just as it exploded. Due to its proximity to the building, the Expedition's windows were shattered by the explosion's concussion wave, and shards of glass showered over Jessica and Mulder as pieces of the building – some burning – rained down on them. Mulder instinctively used his body as a shield to protect his sister and half dragged her to a safe distance away from the building.

"What the hell..?" Mulder muttered.

"Oh my God…John! Joohhnn!"

Jessica immediately took a step toward the building, and Mulder quickly stepped in front of her to block her path, holding her in place with his hands on her arms. "Jessica, no; you can't go in there!"

"Get out of my way, Fox" she demanded. "John's in there!"

"You can't go in there," Mulder repeated, and tightened his hold as Jessica began struggling to free herself.

"Damnit, Fox, let go of me! Joohhnn! Johhnnn!"

Mulder gave her a hard shake, forcing her to look at him. "Jessica, listen to me!" he instructed. "He's gone, Jessica; there's no way he could have survived the explosion."

"NO!" Jessica exclaimed, but just as suddenly realized he was right, and she began to sob as she continued her litany of denial. "No, no, no…oh, God...John…"

Satisfied she was no longer going to dash into the building, Mulder shifted his grip on her to encase her in a comforting hug with one arm as he used his free hand to retrieve his cell phone and call 911.

**FBI HEADQUARTERS**

Some time later, Mulder returned to the Bureau to check on Jessica. Once the emergency personnel had arrived at the scene, Mulder had instructed one of the police officers to escort Jessica to the Bureau, where she would await official word on John's fate. She had protested at first, still half-convinced that he would somehow miraculously be found, and Mulder had been forced to be cruelly blunt to get through to her.

"If John didn't survive the explosion, and burned to death in the fire, do you really want to be here when they bring his body out?"

The brutal question had served its purpose, and the beautiful blonde had reluctantly returned to the Hoover Building. Mulder had phoned Scully and given her a brief explanation about what had happened, and the petite redhead was there to meet Jessica when she arrived. After allowing themselves a moment to share their mutual grief, Scully had taken Jessica to Skinner's office and they were now sequestered there as they waited for Mulder's return. Scully sat in a chair beside Skinner's desk, casting an occasional sympathetic glance at her sister-in-law as Skinner made an unsuccessful attempt to get some work done. Jessica was seated on the loveseat, her arms wrapped around herself as she stared listlessly at the floor. The awkward silence was broken when the door opened and a subdued Mulder entered the room. Jessica slowly rose to her feet as he approached her.

"Did they find him?" she asked evenly.

"No. I spoke to the fire captain and apparently whatever chemicals were present caused everything to burn completely to ashes, except for the exam tables. And this."

Mulder reached over and grasped Jessica's hand, turning it face up before dropping a small metal object into her palm. It was partially melted and covered with ash, but it was still recognizable as a wedding ring. Closing her eyes as a fresh wave of anguish rolled through her, Jessica closed her hand into a fist and clutched it against her chest, her body shaking with silent sobs. Scully felt her eyes well anew watching her sister-in-law's grief, and even Skinner felt his eyes grow misty. Mulder wordlessly wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Jessica."

A knock at the door intruded on the moment, and at Skinner's invitation to enter, the door opened to admit Kersh. "Agents, Mister Skinner," he greeted. "I apologize for interrupting, but I need to speak with Captain Doggett."

Mulder snorted in disgust but said nothing, and sent Kersh an angry glare as Jessica withdrew from his hug.

"With all due respect, sir, now's not the time…" Skinner began, but Jessica cut him off.

"It's all right, Mister Skinner," she assured him, and wiped the tears from her face as she looked at Kersh. "What can I do for you, Deputy Director?"

"First of all please accept my sympathies on the death of Agent Doggett," Kersh said. "We may not have seen eye to eye on much of anything, but he was a good man, and I know he loved you and your children very much."

"Thank you," Jessica responded simply. "What type of information are you looking for?"

"I was hoping you could tell me what the four of you were doing at that building this morning," Kersh said. "I read the report that Agent Mulder filed but unfortunately it was rather vague."

"There's really not much to tell," she evaded. "Fox, John and I were working on a joint case between my department and the Bureau. One of our witnesses indicated that the building contained evidence that could prove helpful to the case and we were there in an effort to try and locate that evidence. Obviously it was a set up because ten minutes after we arrived, the whole place was blown to hell in a hand basket with John and Monica inside. Now if that's still too vague for you, perhaps the D.C. fire captain or your arson specialists can sift through the ashes and discover just how many pieces John and Monica were blown into."

Her tone and graphic remark made it clear that she was in no emotional state to be questioned further, and Kersh respectfully let the matter drop.

"My condolences again on your loss, Captain," he said simply, and exited Skinner's office.

"He really is a heartless bastard," Mulder muttered.

"He may be a few steps behind in the tact department, Mulder," Skinner allowed, "but we both know that when agents are injured or killed in the line of duty it's standard operating procedure to get a statement from the witnesses as soon as possible."

"I need to get home," Jessica declared evenly. "I have to tell the children what's happened before it makes the six o'clock news."

"I'll drive you," Mulder offered.

"Actually, Mulder, you're going to have to stay behind, at least for now," Skinner said. "Kersh is only going to back off long enough to maintain the pretense he's respecting Captain Doggett's grief. Sooner or later he's going to start fishing for information again, and the only way I can run interference is if I know exactly what you were doing at that building."

"Skinner's right," Scully replied. "I'll take Jessica home. You can meet us there after you finish."

Mulder reluctantly acquiesced to the A.D.'s instruction, and Scully lead Jessica from the office. Once they were gone, Skinner addressed Mulder.

"Have a seat, Agent Mulder, and start talking. Monica and John are dead and I want some answers. Because if it turns out this could have been prevented, Kersh is going to hang your ass out to dry and there won't be a damn thing I can do about it. Are we clear on that?"

"As crystal, sir."


	3. Chapter 3

**FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA**

Some time later, Jessica and Scully were sequestered inside the Doggett home, all too aware of John's absence. The twins were upstairs in their bedroom fast asleep, not completely understanding the concept of death but knowing enough to understand that Doggett would not be coming home again. After breaking the news to her children, Jessica had phoned her sister-in-law Emily in Georgia, the resulting conversation brief but emotion packed. As if sensing the somber mood, even the dogs were unusually quiet and were upstairs dozing in the children's bedroom.

As Scully puttered around in the kitchen, making coffee and cleaning up, Jessica positioned herself by the window, staring out at the reporters who were slowly beginning to gather outside.

"They're like a flock of vultures waiting for a chance to pick at the carcass," she observed grimly.

Overhearing the remark, Scully walked across the room to stand beside her, and followed her gaze out the window. "Are those reporters?" she asked. "How did they find out so fast?"

"John is…was…a federal agent and the son-in-law of a United States Senator," Jessica reminded her. "His death was bound to make the news."

The petite redhead gave her a sideways glance. "As long as we're on the subject, maybe you should put a call into Elizabeth and tell her what's happened."

The beautiful blonde snorted. "When hell freezes over," she declared. "She can see it on the news or read it in tomorrow's paper like everybody else."

"Are you going to invite her to the memorial service?"

"I hadn't gotten that far yet. Right now I'm still trying to deal with getting through the rest of today."

Scully smiled. "Well so far you're doing a rather admirable job of holding it together," she remarked.

"I don't have a choice," Jessica responded. "I have to think of the twins. They're too young to fully comprehend what's happened, and I need to be strong for them."

"They'll be asleep for quite a while, so if you want a shoulder to cry on, mine's available."

"Thanks for the offer, Dana, but I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm afraid that if I start crying again, I may never stop."

Any response from Scully was prevented by the arrival of Mulder, who strolled into the living room and greeted them with a small smile. "I saw the wagons beginning to circle out front so I parked down the street and came in the back door," he replied.

"What happened with Skinner?" Scully asked.

Mulder shrugged. "He's convinced that Kersh is going to use what happened today as an excuse to shut down the X files once and for all," he answered.

"Maybe he should," Jessica replied softly.

Surprise flickered across Mulder's face. "Excuse me?"

She shifted her gaze to meet his. "Maybe he should," she repeated. "At least that way it would reduce the body count."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" her brother demanded.

"You're an intelligent person," the captain evaded. "You figure it out. I'm going upstairs to check on the twins, and then I'd like some time alone. I'm certain you can see yourselves out."

Without waiting for a response, Jessica made her way through the living room and vanished up the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Mulder wondered aloud.

"It was probably just her grief talking, Mulder," Scully said. "She's hurt and she's angry, and she's using you as a target. She'll get over it in a few days."

He glanced in the direction of the stairs. "I hope so."

**WASHINGTON D.C.**

Five days later, Doggett's family and friends gathered at Saint John's Baptist Church for his memorial service. Reyes' service had been held the day before, and Jessica had exchanged condolences with her mother and stepfather. Despite her lingering issues with Elizabeth, Jessica had allowed her to be present for Doggett's memorial, and the Senator had sat with Sarah and her children. Emily Doggett Parker was present with her family, as were many of Doggett's friends from the Corps and the NYPD, and a military honor guard. At Jessica's request, his former partner Duke Tomasick had delivered Doggett's eulogy, and his recollection of time spent with his late friend brought those gathered to tears and laughter. Once he had finished, he crossed over to exchange a warm hug with Jessica, then he resumed his seat as the reverend concluded the memorial. Afterward, Jessica stood near the altar as various friends and acquaintances approached her to offer their sympathies, and the elegant blonde forced a smile as she acknowledged each one. She was finishing an exchange with one of the people who knew Doggett from the Bureau when a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"Excuse me, pretty lady, but can you tell me how to get to Mexico?"

Jessica turned around and found herself face to face with Brett Griffin, the Marine turned mercenary whom Elizabeth had hired to find the Doggetts in Mexico three years ago. "Brett," she greeted simply, and gave him a quick hug. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I only wish it had been under better circumstances," Griffin responded. "I can't tell you how sorry I am about John, Jessica. He was one of the best."

"The best," Jessica corrected.

Griffin smiled, then caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and shifted to see the twins hovering near Mulder and Scully.

"Are those the wonder twins I've heard so much about?" he asked.

"Yes. Grace and Matthew."

He watched them for a moment before returning his attention to the woman in front of him. "They're beautiful kids, Jessica, and are perfect miniatures of you and John."

She smiled at that. "Well Grace is a little shy, but Matthew all ready shows signs of having inherited John's 'take no prisoners' attitude," she told him. "I shudder to think what he's going to be like in a few more years."

"He comes from good stock," Griffin countered. "He'll do you proud."

"I'm sure he will."

"Well, I should probably make myself scarce before one of these fellows with a gun and a badge decides to make my acquaintance," Griffin replied. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Eventually," Jessica allowed, silently adding, _I hope_. "Thank you for coming. John would have been pleased to know you were here."

"I only wish I could have done something to prevent him from getting himself killed," Griffin said.

Jessica shot a quick glance at Mulder. "John isn't the one I'm holding responsible for his death."

Griffin's eyes widened in curiosity. "Are you saying that your brother is somehow at fault?" he prompted.

"I'm not saying anything," Jessica evaded. "Take care of yourself, Brett, and don't wait another three years before dropping by."

"I won't."

The two exchanged a hug, and Griffin disappeared into the crowd just as a trio of familiar faces approached Jessica. The Gunmen were all attired in suits and clearly uncomfortable, but nonetheless they presented a united sympathetic front for Jessica.

"Captain," Byers greeted. "I'm so sorry about Agent Doggett."

"We all are," Langley added.

"He may have been a pain in the ass most of the time, but when the chips were down you knew he'd be there for you," Frohike said.

Jessica gave them a warm smile. "I appreciate you guys being here. John would never admit it, but he genuinely liked you."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Byers asked.

"Thank you for offering, but no."

"If you need anything, day or night, you call us," Frohike told her. "You and the kids are family, just like Mulder and Scully and Will."

Her smile widened. "Thanks guys," she replied.

The Gunmen smiled back and she gave them each a hug before they exited the church. Once they had left, Jessica glanced around the church and allowed herself a relieved sigh when she saw that she was alone. Crossing over to the pews, she settled herself in the first one and took a moment to enjoy her solitude before speaking aloud to the empty room.

"I've never asked for much from you, God," she began. "I've tried to live my life according to your word and never complained when you felt it necessary to throw roadblocks on the path of my life. I accepted the loss of three children, a father and a brother with nary a complaint, holding onto the belief that you knew what you were doing. But know you've taken John, too, and that's the one sacrifice I can't accept. He was my light, and my joy. Yet for some unfathomable reason he was stolen from me, and our children. That is something I won't forgive."

"Jessica?"

The captain turned at the sound of her name and saw Scully standing a few feet away.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

She gave her sister-in-law a small smile. "I'm fine, Dana. Just taking a few moments to sort things out with the Man upstairs and enjoy the solitude."

Scully returned her smile. "Dealing with all the people who want to extend their sympathies can be a bit overwhelming," she allowed, and settled in the pew next to Jessica.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this, Dana," Jessica said softly. "John was a part of my life in one form or another for thirty-four years, and I've spent my entire adult life loving him. Now he's dead, and I have to learn how to live without him. I don't know if I can do that."

"You can and you will, in time. Allow yourself the chance to grieve, and try to find comfort in knowing that a part of him will always be with you in Grace and Matthew."

"I am grateful that I have the twins, but right now that doesn't seem to ease the pain. He was everything to me, Dana. With all the things that have happened in my life, John was the one constant I could depend on; my beacon of light at the end of any tunnel. As corny as it sounds, he was my hero. How do I move past that? How do I get on with my life when the person who was the embodiment of my soul can never be here to share it with me?"

Scully had no response, and wordlessly enveloped Jessica in a comforting hug.

**FALLS CHURCH**

That evening, Jessica returned home alone after taking the twins to Sarah Caldwell's. Emotionally exhausted after the day's events, she had wanted some time alone to sort through Doggett's effects and mourn without fear of upsetting their children. After trading in her suit for a pair of jeans and her well-worn "Property of John Doggett" T-shirt, she headed downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. Entering the kitchen, she crossed over to the cabinets and reached up to open one, only to discover Doggett's personalized coffee mug sitting in front of the other ones. Taking it off the shelf, Jessica stared at it for a moment before suddenly turning and hurling the mug against the far wall.

"Damn you, John Doggett!" she shouted at the empty room. "Damn you for dying and leaving me to live the rest of my life without you!"

Overcome with a sudden wave of rage, she grabbed the dishes drying in the sink and smashed them on the floor. The commotion caused the dogs to come in from the backyard and see what the ruckus was about, but Jessica was too angry to notice them. Striding out of the kitchen, she made her way back up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Walking over to the closet, she began yanking Doggett's clothes off their hangers and tossing them into a pile on the floor. Halfway through his wardrobe, her anger spent itself, and she collapsed into a sobbing heap atop the clothing.

"Oh, God…John…I miss you…"

She lay there for several minutes, curled into a fetal position and crying incoherently as her pain and anger poured out in her tears. Eventually, however, the ring of the phone forced her to stop crying, and she reluctantly rose to her feet before crossing over to the nightstand to answer it. "Hello?"

"Is Jessica Doggett available?" a feminine voice asked.

"This is she."

"Captain Doggett, this is Amy from Doctor Barnes' office. I was calling to set up an appointment for you to come in for your ultrasound."

"Ultrasound?" Jessica echoed. "For what?"

"I'm sorry, Captain; I though the doctor had all ready called to give you the news."

"What news?" Jessica pressed.

"We received your blood work back from the lab and you're approximately ten weeks pregnant." Amy told her.

Jessica felt her heart skip a beat, and she abruptly sat down on the bed. "Pregnant?" she repeated in a near whisper.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She closed her eyes as a fresh round of tears threatened to spill over._ John should have been here for this_, she mused sadly.

"Captain Doggett, are you there?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm sorry."

"Given your history, Doctor Barnes would like to do the ultrasound as soon as possible," Amy said. "Would you be available Monday afternoon at 4:00?"

"Four o'clock Monday is fine. Thank you."

Jessica replaced the receiver in its cradle and stared at the phone in silence, overwhelmed by the discovery that she was expecting.

_At least that explains why I haven't been able to eat breakfast for the past couple of weeks_, she thought wryly, and then spoke aloud as she addressed her dead husband. "Well Sunshine that's another item on the list," she said. "First you get yourself killed helping Fox track down E.T. and now I've got another child who will grow up not knowing his or her father. Wherever you are, I hope you know just how much you've left behind."

Sighing heavily, the captain rose to her feet and resumed the task of sorting through Doggett's clothes.

**FBI HEADQUARTERS**

The following afternoon, Jessica arrived at the Hoover Building in response to a call from Skinner inviting her to be present for the interrogation of Greg Burlinski. Although not necessarily ready or able to face the man presumed responsible for her husband's death, she also needed to retrieve Doggett's personal effects from his office. So out of necessity she had agreed to be there. Steeling herself for the coming confrontation, she rode the elevator to the third floor and made her way down the hall to Skinner's office. His assistant Kristy was at her desk when she approached and flashed the older woman a friendly smile.

"Good afternoon, Captain," she greeted. "Please accept my sympathies on the death of Agent Doggett. He was a good man."

"Yes he was," Jessica agreed. "Thank you. Is A.D. Skinner in his office?"

"Yes, Ma'am. He's expecting you, so go right in."

Steeling herself against the emotions whirling within her, Jessica knocked once and then let herself into Skinner's office. Mulder was standing beside the door, and Burlinksi was seated across from Skinner.

"Captain Doggett," Skinner greeted. "Thank you for coming."

Jessica acknowledged him with a slight nod of her head but remained silent, her attention focused on Burlinski as she took position beside Mulder.

"Lieutenant Burlinski, why don't you start by telling us why you sent Agents Doggett and Mulder to that building the morning of the explosion?" Skinner prompted.

"The building was being used for medical experiments involving alien DNA," Burlinski answered evenly. "There are two others similar to it in Europe, one of which my men and I were assigned to expose when they were killed. No doubt the people running these facilities are attempting to cover their tracks by eliminating the witnesses."

"So it's your contention that the same group of people involved with the deaths of your men is responsible for the explosion that killed Agent Reyes and Agent Doggett?"

"Yes, sir."

"I don't suppose you actually know who any of these mysterious people are?" Mulder interjected.

"I don't have specific names, but it is my understanding they refer to themselves as 'The Syndicate'. And given the level of deception regarding what my men and I were really doing overseas, it's a safe assumption that some or all of them are high ranking officials within our own government."

"This is starting to have a familiar ring," Jessica muttered under her breath.

Skinner picked up a file that lay open on his desk, and glanced at it briefly before returning his attention to Burlinski. "According to the preliminary file Agent Mulder and Agent Doggett had created for your case, they were unable to find a single person to corroborate your story," he said. "Agent Doggett spoke to several officers at Naval Headquarters, including your direct superior, and they all state that your men were killed during a routine training exercise."

"The American public isn't ready to deal with the reality of the existence of extraterrestrials, Mister Skinner. If the government were to admit that they were all ready in the process of medical experimentation involving alien DNA, it would create a national panic. Not to mention the global ramifications if our allies or enemies were to learn we had that kind of advanced technology in our possession."

"Then why come to us in the first place?" Mulder asked. "If you knew that they would never admit to what they were doing, there seems little point in involving the FBI."

"Your reputation precedes you, Agent Mulder," Burlinski responded. "You seem to have a knack for uncovering secrets no one else can. I felt that you might be the one person who could actually expose what was happening."

"Assuming for the moment that all of this is true," Skinner interjected, "do you have idea who's in charge of this Syndicate?"

"I don't know his name," Burlinski said, "but my superiors referred to him as 'The Baron'. Apparently he's a European nobleman and man of some power who faked his death several years ago, but after his son was killed as a result of his involvement in the conspiracy he resurfaced and claimed control of the Syndicate."

Jessica glanced at Mulder. "That sounds suspiciously like Frans Stuckhold," she remarked.

"Dieter's father?" Mulder prompted.

"Yes."

"That's a possibility," Mulder allowed.

"What does 'The Baron' plan to do with these facilities?" Skinner asked.

"That I don't know, but was hoping Agent Mulder would find be able to find out."

"Sorry that the murders of my husband and his partner ruined your plans," Jessica responded bitterly.

"Jessica…"

"Whatever it is, Fox, I don't want to hear it," Jessica declared. "And I certainly don't want to hear anymore about Stuckhold. Mister Skinner, is there anything you can formally charge Lieutenant Burlinski with in regards to the deaths of John and Monica?"

"Not at the moment."

"Then I'm done here. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retrieve my husband's personal effects and go home."

Without waiting for a response, the captain exited Skinner's office.

By the time Mulder reached his office, Jessica had the majority of Doggett's personal effects packed in the box on his desk. As she dropped his nameplate and a pair of family photos into the box, Mulder walked over to stand in front of the desk. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"No I'm not," Jessica answered tightly.

"I'm sorry about what happened upstairs," Mulder said. "Skinner should have known better than to ask you to be present for Burlinski's interrogation."

"You should have known better than to trust Burlinski's little tale about the alien medical facility," his sister countered. "If you cared a little more about your family and friends and a little less about your conspiracy obsession, this conversation would not be happening."

The captain's intimation that the current situation was somehow his fault brought to mind the last part of the conversation they'd had the day Doggett and Reyes had been killed.

_Mulder shrugged. "He's convinced that Kersh is going to use what happened today as an excuse to shut down the X files once and for all," he answered. _

"_Maybe he should," Jessica replied softly._

_Surprise flickered across Mulder's face. "Excuse me?"_

_She shifted her gaze to meet his. "Maybe he should," she repeated. "At least that way it would reduce the body count."_

"That's the second time you've insinuated that what happened to John and Monica was my fault," Mulder replied. "The first time was that crack you made the day they died that shutting down the X files would reduce the body count. I'd like to know what you meant by that."

Jessica glanced at him, anger evident in her refined features. "It means that you're up to your elbows in other people's blood, Fox," she replied. "How many people are dead because of your obsession? Our father, Melissa Scully, Scott Caldwell, Monica and John. How many more people will have to die before you finally stop chasing shadows?"

"That's not fair…"

"Don't talk to me about fair!" she snarled. "When you go home tonight, your wife and son will be there, happy and whole. My husband is dead, and my children are without a father, because you wanted to find Burlinski's alleged proof that alien DNA was being used to perform medical miracles."

"The truth is out there, Jessica," Mulder declared. "I owe it to John and Monica and everyone else who was sacrificed because of it to discover the people responsible for their deaths."

"Why? Because you figure exposing these alleged plots within the government to hide the fact that there are aliens among us will somehow make amends for what the search for that evidence cost? News flash, big brother; it won't. All of the friends and parents and lovers gone – they'll still be dead. And I for one won't find any comfort in knowing that they died to protect other people's lies."

"If the people responsible for their deaths are left alone, then they've essentially gotten away with murder and John and the others died in vain."

"They all ready have," she responded softly. "You're my brother, Fox, and I love you. But I cannot and will not allow your obsession to affect me any more than it all ready has. I'm pregnant, and I won't expose this baby or the twins to anyone or anything remotely connected with the X files."

"What are you saying?" Mulder asked carefully.

"I'm saying that unless and until you decide that your family is more important than your work, I can't have you in my life, or my children's."

"Don't do this, Jessica."

"I have to."

After a cursory check to ensure she had all of Doggett's belongings, Jessica picked up the box and walked out of the X files office, and her brother's life.


	4. Chapter 4

**PARIS, FRANCE**

He came to slowly, vaguely aware of his aching body and a sense of disorientation. His eyelids felt heavy and it took several attempts before he was able to fully open his eyes. His vision was blurred, and his eyes burned ever so slightly, and he blinked several times to clear his vision. Once he had, he immediately realized he was not in his own bed.

_I'm in a hospital,_ he surmised silently.

It was then that he noticed his hands were heavily bandaged, as well as his face, and judging from the itching around his ribs and abdomen, his ribcage was bandaged as well. Medical monitors surrounded him, and an IV led into his left arm.

_I must've been in pretty bad shape after the warehouse exploded_, he deduced. _I just hope to God Jess is okay._

"Good morning," an unfamiliar accented voice greeted and Doggett glanced toward the source as a man of perhaps sixty walked over to stand beside him. "I am Doctor Laurent. How do you feel?"

Doggett ignored the doctor's question and posed one of his own, though speaking aloud caused his throat to hurt. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice raspier than usual.

"In a private medical facility on the outskirts of Paris," Laurent revealed.

"Paris?" Doggett echoed. "As in France? How the hell did I get to France?"

"That, Monsieur, is a long story," Laurent evaded. "Are you in any pain?"

"I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of elephants, but nothin' specific is hurtin' at the moment."

"Good. The medication should keep your discomfort to a minimum."

"Where's my wife?" Doggett demanded.

"Madame Doggett is home with your children, no doubt mourning your loss."

"You wanna explain that remark?"

"It means that your wife – along with everyone who knows you – believes you are dead," Laurent clarified. "The fire caused by the explosion at the hospice in Washington burned the building and everything inside of it to ashes, your partner and presumably you included. My sources tell me the investigators even managed to find your wedding band amongst the ashes."

"Well why the hell didn't you tell your 'sources' that I'm not dead?" Doggett demanded.

"Because, Monsieur, that may yet be your fate."

The calm statement cut through Doggett's anger like a blade through butter. "Care to elaborate on that?" he prompted.

"You were brought here two weeks ago, the day after you were assumed killed in the explosion," Laurent told him. "When we arrived at the hospice that morning, your body was laying in one of the examination rooms. Your most obvious injuries were the burns to your face and hands from the fire. Further examination revealed that your facial bones and several ribs were fractured, and you were suffering from internal bleeding due to a ruptured kidney. It was a miracle you were alive at all, let alone that you survived the flight."

"Who brought me here?" Doggett asked.

"Your benefactor has chosen to remain anonymous, but the list of possibilities is a short one. Less than two dozen people know of the existence of this clinic."

"I'd like to see that list."

"Perhaps in time, if and when you have recovered."

The evasive answer irked Doggett but he let it pass and instead asked, "So what exactly have you done to me?"

"We repaired your kidney and stopped the bleeding, after which we set your ribs and replaced the burned skin on your hands. They were on the border between deep second degree and third degree burns, but none of your muscles were compromised, so after the immobilization period they should heal quite nicely. We did a preliminary skin graft to repair the burned skin on your face as best we could, but as fourth degree burns they are quite severe. Your skin was almost entirely gone and your facial muscles were exposed. Those suffered minor burns as well. The skin grafts will be compromised by the reconstructive surgery, so they will have to be redone once we've repaired the fractured facial bones."

Doggett felt his stomach turn at the recitation of his injuries. "Sounds like I'm in for a hell of a ride," he remarked, forcing a casualness he didn't feel into his tone.

"That would be an accurate assessment," Laurent allowed. "We cannot begin the facial surgery until your body has had time to recover from your other injuries. If we attempt too much too soon, your system will go into shock and you will die."

"You said 'reconstructive surgery'. Isn't that the same as plastic surgery?"

"No. Plastic surgery is purely cosmetic; the removal of wrinkles or scars and the like. Reconstructive surgery involves the actual rebuilding of your facial structure; implanting new bones to replace those shattered in the explosion. Once the foundation has been restored, the process of repairing the burned skin can begin. But I will forewarn you, Monsieur, that it will be a long and extremely painful process."

"Am I gonna look like a ringer for Frankenstein's monster?"

"No. The scarring will be minimal, and your new face will be identical to the old one."

Laurent fell silent then, and Doggett took a moment to absorb what the Frenchman had told him before responding. "So what you're tellin' me is that I'm basically going to go through hell and back, but when I'm done I'll be as good as new?"

"Yes."

"Do you really expect me to believe this little story?"

Laurent flashed him an indulgent smile. "I have no reason to lie to you, Monsieur Doggett. If I wanted you dead, I simply would have allowed you to succumb to your injuries."

"So why didn't you? You obviously know who was responsible for blowin' up the hospice in D.C., and they just as obviously wanted me dead."

"Let us just say that as one father to another, I do not wish for your children to grow up without you. I would suggest, however, that if you wish to live long enough to see them reach adulthood, you will think twice the next time an angry, bitter man comes to you with tales of government conspiracies and cover-ups."

"Would that be Greg Burlinski, or Fox Mulder?" Doggett prompted dryly.

"Take your pick," Laurent responded. "Get some rest, Monsieur. You have a long road ahead of you."

On that note, Laurent exited the room, leaving Doggett alone to ponder his predicament. Neither man noticed the figure hovering just outside of Doggett's room, his breathing labored, and he stood outside the door for a moment longer before fading back into the shadows.

**FBI HEADQUARTERS**

In the basement office he now occupied alone, Mulder was sorting through a file on his desk when he heard the approach of familiar footsteps, and greeted his visitor without looking up.

"Come to pay homage to the FBI's most unwanted, Doctor Scully?" he asked lightly.

Scully smiled as she stepped into the room. "How did you know it was me?"

"After eleven years together I've learned to recognize your footsteps," Mulder replied, and at last glanced up at her. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a teaching seminar at Quantico."

"Three of the professors came down with food poisoning so it was cancelled," Scully told him. "So I thought I'd come over here and see how you're doing."

He frowned. "How I'm doing?"

"Flying solo," Scully clarified, and settled into a chair in front of his desk. "This is the first day you've officially been back here since we lost John and Monica. I imagine you've got some ghosts keeping you company."

Mulder reflexively glanced at the other two desks in the room, now conspicuously empty, and a flicker of sorrow passed across his handsome face. "The silence takes getting used to," he allowed. "Most of the time the three of us were having polite disagreements over whatever case we were working on, and it was always amusing to see which of the two of us would wind up siding against the third. When it was John and Monica against me, I usually pulled rank as founder of the X files and forced them to go along with my theories. But right now I'd give anything to hear Monica call me 'General Spooky', or have John tell me I'm an arrogant ass. I miss them, Scully."

"So do I, but we both know that neither one of them would want us to cause ourselves more pain by dwelling on their deaths."

"Easy for you to say," Mulder countered. "It's not your fault they're dead."

Scully paused. Mulder had told her what had transpired between he and Jessica the day Burlinksi had been brought in for questioning, and as much as she loved her husband, she could not entirely absolve him of responsibility for what happened. But she also knew that Mulder would have died himself before intentionally allowing his colleagues and friends to come to harm.

"She's still grieving, Mulder, and along with her grief comes anger. She's not necessarily mad at you; you're just a convenient target."

"Trust me, Scully; my sister is pissed at me."

"Even if she is, it won't last forever. Give her some time and space. Maybe with enough of both you can mend the rift between you."

"She's right, you know. I do have blood on my hands. How many people would still be alive right now if I had left well enough alone after Samantha's abduction? Instead of developing my obsession for proving the existence of extraterrestrials, I should have listened to my parents and the police and everyone else who said she was only another victim of a random kidnapping."

"You loved your sister, Mulder, and you were following your heart. No one can fault you for that."

"My other sister does."

The petite redhead allowed herself a faint sigh. "Instead of looking at the glass as half empty, Mulder, look at it as half full," she suggested. "Yes, some innocent people were unfortunately killed as result of the work you've done. But how many more would have been if you hadn't chosen to expose the truth? And how differently would the world we know have turned out? Spender would still be ruining lives; Samantha's fate would still be unresolved; Jessica would not be part of your life; you and I wouldn't be together, and William wouldn't exist."

He met her gaze. "So you don't blame me for what the X files has cost you?" he prompted.

"I'm a grown-up, Mulder. Whatever has happened to me has been a result of my own choice to stay by your side, and it has brought me my soul mate and my son. How can I not be grateful for that?"

Mulder flashed her an affectionate smile. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

"I love you too, General Spooky."

Just then Mulder's cell phone rang and he retrieved it from his coat pocket. "Mulder."

"Mulder, its Byers. We just got your message. What's up?"

"I need you guys to do some research for me," Mulder said. "I need to find out if a Death Certificate was ever filed for a man named Frans Stuckhold, some time between the fall of 2003 and the summer of 2004, either in Germany or any other European country. Can you do that?"

"We'll give it a shot," Byers answered, "but it's going to take some time. Isn't Stuckhold the creep who kidnapped Captain Doggett three years ago and was killed by Agent Doggett?"

"That was his son," Mulder explained. "Frans is the one who collaborated with my father, Spender and Edward Caldwell all those years ago to try and create the super babies. I can't get into the specifics just yet, but I think that he may have been behind the explosion that killed John and Monica."

Byers snorted in disgust. "What – is it his family's goal in life to kill every member of yours?"

"I don't know, but I'm damn sure going to find out before he takes another shot at Jessica or the kids."

"Right. We'll get on it ASAP and contact you when we find something."

"Thanks, John." Mulder replaced his phone in his pocket and met his wife's questioning gaze. "What?"

"I thought you were going to let this alone," Scully said. "Didn't Jessica all but ask you to?"

"She didn't exactly ask, and I certainly didn't agree..

"Frankly, Mulder, I don't think it's going to score you any points with her even if you do prove Stuckhold is involved in this."

"It's not about trying to mend fences with my sister, Scully; it's about reciprocity. Five years ago when I was missing and everyone thought I was dead, John stepped in and kept you and Will safe until I was brought back to you. Now he's dead and it's his family that's in jeopardy. I owe it to him to protect his the same way he protected mine."

"For argument's sake let's say Spender is behind the explosion. Do you really think you can track him down and bring him to justice? You'd have hell to pay getting Kersh to sign off on an arrest warrant."

"If Stuckhold is involved in all of this than he'll get what's coming to him one way or another," came the ominous reply.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were intimating that you intend to kill him yourself," Scully said carefully.

Mulder offered no response.

**SENATE BUILDING **

Elizabeth Caldwell and her personal assistant Sydney were in the midst of drafting her speech for an upcoming fundraiser when her private line rang, and Sydney shot her a questioning glance.

"I thought you were going to turn that off while we worked on your speech?"

"I wanted to," Elizabeth allowed, "but I'm expecting a call from President Bush's personal secretary to confirm his presence at the dinner next month."

Reaching across her desk, Elizabeth picked up the receiver. "Elizabeth Caldwell."

"Good afternoon, Senator," a familiar voice greeted. "I trust I'm not disturbing you."

Elizabeth froze in recognition of the voice, and ignored the chill that suddenly went down her spine as she glanced at her assistant. "Sydney, would you please excuse me for a moment? I need to take this call in private."

"Of course."

Sydney gathered her papers and exited the Senator's office, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Elizabeth addressed her caller.

"What the hell do you think you're doing calling me at the White House?" she demanded. "Don't you realize all of the calls in and out of this building are monitored?"

"Paranoia doesn't become you, Elizabeth," Stuckhold chided.

"What do you want, Frans?"

"I was calling to find out if you're responsible for the fact that your son-in-law is now in the French clinic receiving the benefits of our research to save his life," Stuckhold replied. "Apparently he was miraculously rescued from the fire at the clinic in D.C. and flown by a private jet to an airstrip just outside of Paris, and from there was delivered to Laurent and his staff. Now instead of being nothing more than a bad memory, he'll quite likely survive and be more of a nuisance than ever."

"I warned you after Dieter had Jessica abducted three years ago that I would not stand idly by while your family played God with mine. My only son is dead, and Jessica may as well be given the state of our relationship. Did you really think I would allow you to take out John?"

"You forget, Elizabeth, that the man of whom we speak is the partner of Fox Mulder. The agents of the X files are a never ending threat, one that I intend to eliminate in any way possible. Unfortunately the only one I have managed to kill was the least imposing of the group, and now Mulder is more determined than ever to uncover the truth behind the clinics. Should Doggett recover enough to return home, the threat will increase exponentially."

"What do you want from me?" Elizabeth asked.

"As tempted as I am to exchange his life for yours, unfortunately that is not an option. Your status in Washington puts you exactly where the Syndicate needs you to be. So I am going to allow Laurent and his staff to continue their work with Doggett and see just how much of a miracle their specialized DNA can perform. But be forewarned, Elizabeth, that there will be no second chance. Should you interfere with our plans again you will pay the price."

Without giving Elizabeth a chance to respond, Stuckhold ended the call.


	5. Chapter 5

**FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA**

Five months later, life in the Doggett household remained unchanged. Following their exchange at the Bureau the day of Burlinski's interrogation, Jessica and Mulder had not spoken beyond brief greetings when their children were together. The resilience of youth was allowing the twins to adapt to Doggett's loss faster than Jessica, and she still awoke each morning hoping John's death had been nothing but a bad dream. The emotional strain from her continued grief was beginning to manifest itself physically as well; she was underweight for being in her third trimester and her insomnia was depriving her of the rest she and the baby needed to remain healthy.

Early one Saturday afternoon, Jessica was in the backyard watching the twins play with the dogs when the doorbell signaled the arrival of unexpected guests. Stifling a sigh at having to heave her seven and a half months pregnant self out of her chair, the captain struggled to her feet and made her way through the house. Opening the door, she was surprised to discover the Gunmen standing on her doorstep.

"Afternoon, Captain," Byers greeted. "I hope we're not disturbing you."

"Not at all," Jessica assured them. "What brings you guys all the way out here?"

"We haven't seen much of you and the twins for a while so we decided it was time for a visit," Frohike said. "And given your condition we figured it would be easier for us to come to you."

"You didn't have to do that, but I guarantee Matthew and Grace will be thrilled that you did. Please come in."

She stepped aside to allow them entry, and swung the door shut as the Gunmen wandered into the living room.

"So how are you and that future menace to criminal society you're carrying feeling these days?" Byers asked.

"'Future menace to criminal society'?" Jessica repeated in amusement. "You guys have been spending way too much time with Mulder."

"Maybe you ought to try it sometime," Frohike remarked, earning him annoyed glares from his friends.

"That was subtle," Langley remarked.

"Stow it, Frohike," Byers admonished.

"It's all right," Jessica assured them. "Something on your mind, Melvin?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it," Frohike allowed. "What the heck is going on between you and Mulder?"

"It's complicated," Jessica evaded.

"You blaming him for Agent Doggett's death seems pretty straightforward to me," Frohike countered.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's really none of your business."

"Well you and Mulder are my friends so I'm making it my business," Frohike responded. "What happened to Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes wasn't Mulder's fault, Captain."

"If it hadn't been for his damn X files John and Monica would never have been in that building in the first place. The way I see it that makes him at the very least an accessory."

"And nobody feels worse about it than he does. Mulder may be the most annoying person on the planet, but his heart's in the right place. When it comes to the people he cares about, he'd walk through hell and back whistling. Do you have any idea how important you are to him, Captain? He spent almost three quarters of his life searching for the sister he lost as a child, only to discover the one he never knew he had. Outside of Scully and Will, there's no one he cares about more than you."

"That's not the issue here…" Jessica began.

"Then it should be," Frohike interjected. "I understand your grief and your anger, Captain, and naturally you want to blame somebody. But don't make it Mulder. You've both lost enough all ready without adding each other to the list."

There was no denying the truth, and the captain felt some of her anger fade away. "Maybe you're right," she allowed at last.

"Of course I am."

A sudden sharp pain in her side prevented any response from Jessica, and she winced in pain as she lifted a hand to rub her stomach.

"You okay, Captain?" Langley asked.

"I'm not sure," Jessica replied. "I just got a sharp pain in my side."

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital," Byers suggested.

"That's really not…."

Her protest was aborted in mid-sentence when the pain returned, stronger than before, and Jessica doubled over in agony. Langley and Frohike quickly grabbed her arms and helped her over to the couch.

"You guys stay with her," Byers instructed. "I'm going to call 911. Frohike, get on your cell and call Mulder. Tell him to meet us at the hospital."

"Right."

**HOOVER BUILDING**

Inside Skinner's office, Mulder was finishing a meeting with the A.D. when his cell phone rang. Smiling apologetically at his superior, he pulled it out of his coat. "Fox Mulder."

"Mulder, its Frohike."

"Now's not a good time, Melvin…" Mulder began, but his friend quickly cut him off.

"Jessica's been taken to Inova Alexandria Hospital with severe abdominal pain," he told him. "The paramedics think she might be hemorrhaging internally and/or having a miscarriage."

"I'm on my way."

Mulder replaced his phone as he rose to his feet, and Skinner could tell from his expression that the call had not been good news. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Jessica's been rushed to the hospital," Mulder told him. "They think she's losing the baby."

"Son of a bitch…" Skinner muttered. "I'll call Scully and have her meet you at the hospital."

"Thank you, sir," Mulder responded, and bolted out the door.

**INOVA ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL**

Some time later, Mulder was trying not to fidget as he anxiously awaited word on his sister. Frohike had stayed behind to watch over the twins, so it was only an equally worried Langley and Byers that greeted Mulder upon his arrival at the ER. Scully had shown up less than ten minutes later, and as the medical expert of the group had sought out the attending physician to get what information she could about Jessica's condition. After a brief consultation with the chief resident, she had informed Mulder that Jessica had suffered a complete abruption of the placenta from the uterine wall and was hemorrhaging internally. Immediate surgery was needed to save her life as well as the baby's, and when the surgeon had asked which was life was to be given priority should it come down to one or the other, an angry Mulder had responded "Save them both."

After donating blood for Jessica, Mulder had returning to the waiting room to pass the time until she came out of surgery. At her husband's request, Scully had gone to the OR with the surgical team to supervise Jessica's surgery, and ensure that every possible measure would be taken to save both her life and the life of her unborn child. Three hours later, Scully had yet to return, and Mulder began to fear that her absence was an omen of impending tragedy.

_Please don't let anything happen to Jessica or the baby_, he pleaded silently. _They've suffered enough as it is._

"Mulder?"

He glanced up at his name to see Byers standing beside him brandishing a cup of hot coffee. Giving his friend a faint smile of gratitude, he accepted the cup and took a tentative sip as Byers settled beside him.

"She'll be okay," Byers declared. "They both will."

"I hope so," Mulder said.

"She's a fighter, Mulder," Langley interjected. "Death's all ready taken one prize from her this year; if he comes calling again Agent Doggett's ghost will kick his ass back to Hades."

Mulder's smile widened at the image. "Given how possessive John was of her I wouldn't put it past him," he allowed. "He and I may have been at odds most of the time, but I never doubted how much he loved my sister."

"Then trust that he's pulling strings with the Man upstairs to keep her safe," Byers replied.

"I admit that I've been calling in a favor or two myself."

"Hey guys," a familiar voice greeted, and they looked up to see Scully standing in front of them.

The men quickly rose to their feet as Mulder glanced anxiously at his wife. "How's Jessica?" he asked.

"Exhausted, but otherwise doing well," Scully told him. "The doctors were forced to do a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding, but after a week or so of complete bed rest, she'll be fine."

"What about the baby?"

Scully smiled. "Your new nephew is a little small, but otherwise he's in perfect health. They're going to keep him under observation in the NICU for twenty-four hours to make sure he doesn't suffer any complications from his early arrival, but if all goes well he and Jessica should be reunited tomorrow."

Mulder briefly closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer of gratitude heavenward before embracing Scully in a fierce hug. "Thank you," he whispered."

"I didn't really do anything," Scully demurred, "but you're welcome."

"We'd better get back to the house and tell Frohike what's going on," Byers said. "Do you need us to stay with the twins tonight?"

"Thanks for the offer, but after I check in on Jessica we'll swing by Margaret's house to get Will and then head over to Jessica's to keep an eye on them. "

"Good enough. We'll see you guys later, then."

Bidding the agents farewell, Langley and Byers exited the hospital as Scully and Mulder made their way to Jessica's room. Not wanting to upset Jessica in her condition, Mulder waited outside her room while Scully went inside and made sure she was willing to see him.

"Hi, mom," Scully greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

"A little woozy," Jessica responded, "and I don't think I'll be entering any sit-up contests any time soon. How's my son?"

"Your son is doing very well," Scully answered. "They're keeping him in NICU overnight for observation but then they'll bring him up to you in the morning."

"But he's really okay?"

"He's perfect," Scully assured her. "If you're feeling up to it, there's someone waiting in the hall to see you."

"Let me guess; a certain federal agent with an unusual first name and an obsession with little green men?"

"That's him. Should I send him in?"

"Please do."

Scully smiled, and placing a hand on her sister-in-law's arm, gave it a gentle squeeze. "Get some sleep, and I'll make sure your son is being taken care of."

"Thanks, Dana."

Scully exited the room and motioned for Mulder to go inside. He entered the room and flashed Jessica a small smile as he approached the bed.

"Hey stranger," she greeted wearily.

"Hey yourself," Mulder returned. "You gave us quite a scare, little sister."

"I gave myself one," Jessica admitted. "I'd been having minor pains off and on for about a week, but I didn't think much about it. I was too busy dwelling on my grief over losing John, and unfortunately it took almost losing our son to force me out of my misery."

Mulder knew her pain was still fresh and wisely changed the subject. "Have you thought of a name yet?" he asked.

"Yes. In keeping with the Doggett family tradition, his name is Samuel John Doggett."

"Let's just hope he resembles his mother," Mulder remarked dryly.

Jessica gave him an admonishing look. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's bad manners to speak ill of the dead?"

Mulder shrugged. "I spoke ill of him when he was alive," he pointed out.

She shook her head. "Some things never change," she said, then grew serious. "But other things should, starting with the distance between you and me. I was wrong to blame you for what happened to John and Monica, and I compounded the issue by cutting you out of my life. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry."

"It's perfectly understandable given the situation," Mulder deflected. "You were angry and hurt and you needed to lash out at somebody. I was just the most convenient target."

"But you were the wrong one," Jessica countered. "You and I have had our differences, Fox, but it was never because I didn't care about you. You're my brother, and I love you. Please don't ever doubt that."

"Only if you promise not to set your dogs on me next time I come over to baby-sit."

"I had nothing to do with that. Ever since John was killed and I discovered I was pregnant, they haven't let anyone but the twins within fifty feet of me."

"Well Spooky at least should show some respect for his namesake," came the droll reply.

"I'll mention it to him when I get home."

"See that you do."

Four days later, the doctors had finally cleared Jessica to return home. She had just finished feeding Samuel when she received an unexpected visitor.

"Good morning, Captain."

Jessica glanced up at the voice to see Skinner hovering in the doorway, and gave him a friendly smile. "Mister Skinner," she greeted. "This is a surprise."

"May I come in?" Skinner asked.

"Of course."

The A.D. stepped into the room and walked over to stand at the foot of the bed. "That handsome little fellow must be Samuel," he replied. "Mulder was in my office Saturday when he got Byers' call," Skinner told her. "I'm glad to see you and the baby are both all right."

"Thank you. You're welcome to hold him."

Skinner smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you."

Walking around the bed, he gently took Samuel from Jessica and cradled him in his arms. "Hey there little soldier," he said. "Welcome to the world."

His full stomach making him drowsy, Samuel responded to Skinner's greeting with a wide yawn, and gazed at him sleepily with eyes that were all ready the same ice blue as his father's.

"He looks like John," Skinner observed

"Fox will be crushed to hear you say so," the captain responded wryly.

Just then the door opened to admit Sarah Caldwell, who flashed Jessica a smile of greeting before addressing Skinner. "Hello, Walter," she said. "I missed you when I woke up this morning."

"Sorry about that," Skinner apologized, "but I had an early morning meeting. I'll make it up to you over dinner tonight."

"I'll look forward to it," Sarah responded.

From the bed, the captain was watching their brief exchange and trying to cover her surprise that her sister-in-law was not only dating Skinner, but obviously engaged in an intimate relationship with him as well. _Looks like I've missed a quite a bit during my five month pity party_, she mused.

"As long as I have both of you here, I'd like to ask you a favor," Jessica said. "I'd like the two of you to be Samuel's Godparents."

Sarah and Skinner exchanged a surprised look before the former replied, "I assumed that Dana and Mulder would do the honors."

"They got two for the price of one when John and I made them the twins Godparents," Jessica responded. "John cared about you both very much and I know he would approve of my asking you to do the honors for Sam."

"We'd be honored, Jessica," Sarah said at last.

"Good."

"How are you feeling by the way?" Sarah asked. "Are you in any pain?"

"I'm a little uncomfortable," Jessica allowed, "But it's manageable. I just want to get home and introduce Grace and Matthew to their new baby brother."

"Do you need a ride?" Sarah offered.

"Thanks for asking, but Fox is going to take me home."

As if on cue, the door opened yet again and Mulder strode inside, glancing in surprise at the other people present and the sight of Skinner holding Samuel.

"I think he's a little young to be recruited for field work, sir," he deadpanned.

"Very funny, Mulder," Skinner responded, and carefully handed Samuel back to his mother.

Mulder walked over to place a light kiss on his sister's cheek and smiled down at his nephew. "Good morning, little man," he greeted, and glanced at Jessica. "I thought we agreed that he was going to look like you, but he's the spitting image of John."

"It could be worse," Jessica returned. "He could look like you."

"Ouch."

"Well I've got patients to see so I am going to get to work," Sarah said. "If you need anything, Jessica, you call me."

"I will, Sarah."

"Walter, care to walk me out?"

"Of course. Good to see you again, Captain Doggett. Congratulations on your son."

"Thank you."

Sarah and Skinner exited the room, and Mulder waited until the door had closed behind them before addressing his sister. "What am I missing here?" he asked.

"Apparently the same thing I did," Jessica responded. "It seems Sarah and A.D. Skinner are involved."

"Involved?" Mulder echoed. "As in they're seeing one another casually or they're sleeping together?"

"The latter."

"Really…are you okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"She is Scott's widow."

"Yes, but she's been faithful to his memory for almost five years," the captain pointed out. "I think it's long overdue for her to start dating again, and if Skinner is the man she chooses to be with, so be it. He's a good guy."

"Easy for you to say," Mulder responded. "He's not your boss."

"If you're through delving into your boss' personal business, I'd really like to get home."

"Right."

Wrapping Sam securely in his blanket, Mulder tucked him in the crook of his arm and extended his free hand to help Jessica out of bed. She grimaced slightly as the movement pulled on her sore abdominal muscles, then once she was steady on her feet Mulder handed her Samuel and they left the room. After a brief stop at the nurses' station to sign off on her release papers and convince them she didn't need a wheelchair, Jessica and Mulder stepped into the elevator and made their way to the main floor. As they exited the hospital, they did not notice the person observing them from the marginally open tinted window of a parked car several yards away, his labored breathing identifying him as the man who had been outside of Doggett's room at the Paris clinic.


	6. Chapter 6

**PARIS, FRANCE**

Anticipation rippled through him like a fish through water. It was a year to the day that Doggett's mysterious benefactor had rescued him from the fire at the D.C. clinic and arranged for his delivery to the clinic in France. Following had been a blurry monotony of surgeries and rehabilitation all accompanied by constant pain, and the knowledge in his heart that in Virginia, his family mistakenly mourned his death. Now it was almost time for the dénouement. In a few moments, Laurent would arrive to remove the bandages from the final graft and allow Doggett to view his face for the first time.

_I only hope he was tellin' the truth about me not lookin' like Frankenstein's monster,_ he thought wryly.

The door opened then to admit Laurent, and he crossed the room to stand beside his patient. "Bon jour, Monsieur Doggett," he greeted. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Anxious to see what I look like now that you and your associates are done fixin' my face."

Laurent smiled. "I am sure you will be pleased with the results," he replied. "But I must remind you that the scars are still fresh, and will be quite pronounced. They should settle down in another two to three weeks."

"I can live with the scars, Doc; just let me see my face."

"Of course. I will remove the bandages, and then you can study yourself in the mirror by the door."

Taking out a small pair of scissors, Laurent made a couple of preliminary cuts to the bandages, and then replaced them in his pocket as he slowly unwound the gauze from Doggett's face. The air in the room was cool against Doggett's skin, and he could feel the scars itch ever so slightly. Ignoring the sensation, he rose to his feet and crossed the room to look at himself in the mirror. Two large, reddish scars adorned each side of his face directly in front of his ears, and a third ran the ridge of his hairline on top of his forehead. But the skin on his face was free of any signs of the previous trauma, and his ice blue eyes still dominated his features. All in all the doctors had done a remarkable job, even replacing the dimple in his chin, and Doggett noted idly that he now looked a decade or so younger than his actual age.

_Hell of a way to get a face lift_, he mused.

"You are very quiet, Monsieur," Laurent replied. "Does something in your reflection displease you?"

Doggett cast him a sideways glance. "Not at all," he assured him. "You guys did an amazin' job, and as you promised I certainly don't look like a creature out of some horror movie."

Laurent reached into his pocket, and withdrew a Polaroid, which he handed to Doggett. "I took this picture the day of your arrival, but did not feel that you should see it until this moment."

Doggett accepted the picture as he asked, "What is it?"

"It is you, Monsieur, before we began our work. "

Doggett glanced down at the picture, and felt his stomach turn. His time in the military and law enforcement had exposed him to death and destruction countless times, and he had seen things that other men could not imagine. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of himself in such a devastating condition. What was left of his face was a mass of shattered bone and charred muscle, with the exterior skin having obviously been burned away. Most of the hair on his head was gone as well, and what he could see of his hands was nothing but indistinguishable masses of burnt flesh.

"Sweet Jesus…" he muttered aloud.

'I imagine He played a part in your survival, Monsieur, because as you can see there is really no reason why you should be standing here today," Laurent responded.

Doggett studied the picture for a moment longer before lifting his gaze to meet Laurent's. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For savin' me from this and givin' me the face I see in the mirror."

"You can thank me by ensuring that those responsible will never be able to do this to another person," Laurent returned. "Too many people have already suffered because of the people responsible for this clinic's existence. I cannot tell you who is responsible for bringing you here, as I honestly do not know, but once you have safely returned home I will provide you with the list of the people who know of this place."

"And what happens then?" Doggett asked. "Are they gonna take you out for savin' me or exposin' them?"

"I am trusting you to ensure that they never know the source of the disclosure," Laurent told him. "You are a federal agent, and a former military operative. I am certain you can find a way to take them out of commission without jeopardizing my safety."

The younger man nodded. "You got my word on that," Doggett vowed.

"You will need to stay here for another two weeks or so to ensure the scars heal as they should, but then you will be free to reclaim your life."

"Reunitin' with my wife is gonna be my first priority."

"Would you like me to call her?" Laurent offered.

"No," Doggett declared firmly. "Given the circumstances, it would be better if I choose someone else to make first contact with."

"As you wish."

"My brother-in-law is also a federal agent," Doggett said, "and he can find a way to get here without attracting unwanted attention."

"Ah, yes; the infamous Fox Mulder. Do you trust him?"

"Outside of my wife there's no one I trust more."

"Very well. I will make the necessary arrangements for the knowledge of your survival to find its way to Agent Mulder."

"I'm assumin' its not gonna be as simple as callin' him up and tellin' him the news myself?" Doggett prompted.

"Direct contact would not be prudent until he is actually here," Laurent responded. "But I assure you that the source will be a reliable one."

**FBI HEADQUARTERS  
**

After dropping Jessica off at home, Mulder had come to the office to work on his current case files. Engrossed in his work he had lost track of time, until at last he closed the file on the desk in front of him and glanced at his watch.

"They don't pay me enough," he muttered.

Rising to his feet, Mulder pulled his jacket off the back of his chair and headed out of the office. Turning the lights off behind him, he slid his jacket on as he made his way to the elevator. In the darkness of the corridor, a figure wearing red tennis shoes slipped into the office as Mulder disappeared from view. He shut the door quietly and pulling out a flashlight, began going through Mulder's desk.

Meanwhile Mulder had reached the main lobby and was en route to the parking structure when he suddenly realized he had forgotten his cell phone. Turning around, he ran to catch the elevator before the doors closed. Riding it back down to his basement office, Mulder started down the hallway just as the other man exited the office. Mulder immediately pulled out his gun and leveled it at the intruder.

"Hold it right there!" he shouted. "Hands in the air!"

The man wordlessly did as instructed.

"Turn around and step forward," Mulder said.

The man turned around, but remained in place, the light at the top of the stairs behind him casting his face in the shadows.

"I mean you no harm, Agent Mulder," the man said, his voice a raspy whisper.

"Since you obviously know who I am maybe you can return the favor by telling me who you are and what you're doing here," Mulder responded.

A pause. "My name is Daniel Miller," he answered at last. "I'm here at the request of a mutual acquaintance that wishes to see you, but is temporarily unable to contact you directly."

"Really…and who might this mutual acquaintance be?" Mulder prompted.

"Your brother-in-law."

Mulder snorted. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, Mister Miller, but John's dead. So unless you had a chat with him during a séance or some such thing, I don't think you have anything to tell me on his behalf."

"Please listen to me, Mulder," Miller pleaded. "I work at a private clinic just outside of Paris, and Agent Doggett has been there for the last thirteen months under the care of a doctor named Frederic Laurent. He was brought to the clinic after the explosion at the clinic in Washington D.C., and was more dead than alive. But through their…unique…medical capabilities, they were able to save his life."

The mention of the explosion and the clinics peaked Mulder's interest, and combined with Miller's deliberate vagueness regarding the medical technology was enough to convince him the other man's story was at least partially legitimate. "I'm listening," he said, and cautiously lowered his gun.

"I don't know the exact details of his treatment, but I do know that he underwent extensive reconstructive surgery. He suffered fourth degree burns to his face, as well as multiple facial fractures, and they were forced to literally rebuild his face. However, it has completely healed and the scarring is minimal."

"Assuming for the moment that what you're telling me is true, I'm curious as to why he waited so long to have you contact me. And I'm even more curious as to why the hell he hasn't bothered to tell his wife he's alive."

"Those are answers you will have to get from Agent Doggett himself. It was his choice that no one be informed that he was alive until they were certain he would survive his injuries, and even then he felt it would be safer for everyone involved if you were contacted first."

"Fine," Mulder replied. "How do I find this clinic?"

"I left a note on your desk with the details," Miller said. 'And I'm certain that I don't need to tell you that secrecy is of the utmost importance. Until Agent Doggett has been returned to the United States, his life is still in jeopardy."

"I'll be very discreet," Mulder assured him. "I'm curious, though, Mister Miller. Why were you sent to tell me? And why won't you step out of the shadows so I can see your face?"

"I'm here because the same men responsible for the attempted murder of Agent Doggett once tried to kill me," Miller told him. "When I survived, they chose to use me for their experiments, much the same way they tried to use your sister Jessica Doggett while she was Dieter Stuckhold's prisoner in Mexico."

"What did they do to you?"

"They injected me with something that burned me literally from the inside out," Miller explained. "Unfortunately I didn't have the…benefits…of Captain Doggett's previous genetic enhancements and the experiments failed. As result my appearance is somewhat…disturbing, which is why I was at the clinic. But now that I've left the clinic they'll come after me to ensure I can't tell anyone about what was done to me."

"You have a lot of information, Mister Miller. It gives an impression either that you are telling the truth or you just want me to believe that you are."

"If I thought you wouldn't believe me, I wouldn't be here."

"Fair enough, but that doesn't prove that what you've told me about John being alive is the truth. You're asking me to trust you, and yet you refuse to return that trust."

Miller sighed. "The men who did this are part of a government conspiracy that they call the Syndicate."

"What conspiracy?" Mulder asked innocently.

"The conspiracy to keep the truth about aliens from the American public all but destroyed a few years ago has given rise to a new conspiracy in the government now by men who are alien themselves."

"And what does this have to do with you?"

Knowing there was only one way to convince Mulder of the truth, Miller released a heavy sigh and at last stepped into the light. Mulder forced himself not to grimace at the other man's hideous appearance, his features distorted in the mass of burned flesh covering his face.

_Mother of God what did they do to him?_ he wondered in silent horror.

"What you can see they did to me was a failed attempt to turn me into one of these alien men," Miller continued. "I was a guinea pig -- a test subject. And now I want to expose their evil plans."

"What plans are those?" Mulder prompted.

"To do this to you ... to everyone," Miller answered. "Jessica Doggett was spared because she survived the genetic enhancements done while she was still in your mother's womb. You were spared because they mistakenly believed you're Carl Spender's son. But I am his son and they chose me anyway because I refused to go along with their plans."

It took a moment for the confession to sink in, but when it did Mulder's eyes widened in surprise. "You're Jeffrey Spender…"

"What's left of him," came the sad reply. "This is why I came here to tell you about Agent Doggett. It is imperative that the two of you protect your families and stop the Syndicate."

"What about you?"

"I intend to disappear," Spender said. "I have nothing left to fight with, or fight for. But I'll be watching and waiting for the day that you and Agent Doggett expose the truth and eliminate the Syndicate once and for all."

Without giving Mulder a chance to respond, Spender turned and disappeared into the shadows. Mulder watched him go, not wanting him to leave but not knowing how to make him stay. Walking into his office, he crossed to his desk and discovered a piece of paper lying atop the files. Sure enough, it contained detailed directions on how to find the clinic in Paris. Tucking it into his coat pocket, Mulder retrieved his cell phone from the drawer and dialed Scully's cell phone number as he rummaged through his desk in search of his passport. She answered on the third ring, and from the sound of her voice she was not pleased at the disturbance.

"Dana Scully."

"Scully, it's me."

"Mulder, I'm in the middle of a class…"

"I'll make this quick. I've gotten a lead regarding John's case and I have to go to France tonight to verify it."

"France?" Scully echoed. "What's in France?"

"That's what I need to find out," Mulder responded. "I'll call you when I get to Paris."

"Mulder…" Scully began, then decided against saying whatever she had intended to tell him. "Be careful, Mulder."

"I promise. Give Will a kiss for me. I love you."

"I love you, too," Scully responded, and in the background Mulder heard her class collectively say, "Awwww."

"The maturity level of your students continues to astound me," Mulder remarked dryly. "Happy teaching."

"Thanks."

Turning off his phone, Mulder tucked it into his coat along with his passport before exiting his office.

**PARIS, FRANCE**

Approaching the doors of the hospice, Mulder brushed the rain water off his coat before pressing the small entry button on the right wall adjacent to the doors. There was nothing but silence for close to thirty seconds, and then the door opened just enough to reveal a man of about sixty standing just inside.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"Are you Doctor Frederic Laurent?" Mulder asked.

"I am."

Mulder flashed his FBI badge. "My name's Fox Mulder. I understand there's someone here I need to see."

Laurent nodded. "I am pleased that Monsieur Spender's mission was a success," he said, and opened to door and stepped aside to allow Mulder entry. "Please come inside."

The younger man entered the hospice and a cursory scan of the foyer failed to reveal anything unusual. The walls were painted white and bore simple artwork. A small staircase spiraled its way to the second floor, and the short hallway lead to a closed set of double doors. _This place_ _looks like the facility in D.C., _he mused. Aloud he said, "I'm curious as to why you allowed Jeffrey Spender to contact me if you're so concerned about keeping this facility a secret."

Laurent afforded him a sideways glance as they started up the stairs. "Monsieur Doggett insisted that you could be trusted," he replied. "And he was very insistent that we not contact his wife."

"Why?"

Laurent shrugged. "He would not say, but as his family and friends have believed him dead for the last year, I am certain that he worried she will not believe he is who he is."

"I haven't said that I believe he is who he is," Mulder pointed out.

The doctor gave him an indulgent smile. "If you did not, you would not be here."

Reaching the end of the upstairs hallway, Laurent knocked on the last door and a muffled voice responded, "Come in."

Laurent opened the door and stepped inside, shadowed by Mulder. A man with his back to the door stood beside the bed, and although he was the same height and roughly the same weight as him, nothing in his appearance indicated he was in actuality John Doggett.

"I understand there's some confusion as to your identity," Mulder said.

The man turned to face him, and other than a pair of faint surgical scars along his jaw and another adjacent to his hairline, his features bore an exact resemblance to his brother-in-law's. The shock of seeing him temporarily robbed Mulder of his ability to speak, earning him a faint smile from the man in front of him.

"I think this may be the first time I've seen you speechless, Mulder," Doggett chided.

"Well you sound like John Doggett," Mulder allowed, "and you look like him, but aside from that there's nothing about you that would prove it. And it's been my experience that just because something looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's not really a duck but a genetic clone made to resemble one."

"You think I'm a clone?" Doggett prompted. "I've always known you were paranoid, Mulder, but this is extreme even for you."

"Well you have to admit you look pretty darn good for a man who was supposed to have been blown into a billion pieces this time last year. Frankly I need something a bit more substantial than your word to prove you really are John Doggett."

"You're the one with the genius IQ. Why don't you figure out a way to prove it?"

"Okay; let's start with the wedding gift I gave you and Jessica when you got remarried. As I recall, you weren't particularly enamored of the kittens."

Doggett snorted. "I wish they had been kittens," he said. "Would have made 'em a hell of a lot easier to take care of. But they were a pair of Saint Bernard puppies that Jess named Spooky and Semper Fi, and last I saw 'em they both weighed in at 200 pounds."

"What does your middle initial 'T' stand for?"

"My middle initial is 'J' and it stands for Jeremiah, which was my father's name. My mother's name was Rose, my sister's name is Emily, and my wife's birth name was Christina Mulder. After her brother Scott was killed by Billy Miles in a car accident six years ago, we found out she was kidnapped as an infant and illegally adopted by the Caldwells. Your wife's name is Dana Scully, and your son's name is Will after both his grandfathers. My kids' names are Matthew and Grace, and last year for my birthday they got me a bulldog puppy we named Georgia. You and I work for the FBI, specifically a division called the X files that is dedicated to the investigation of paranormal phenomena. You founded the division after your other sister Samantha was allegedly abducted by aliens when she was eight years old. Our boss is Walter Skinner, and his boss is Deputy Director Kersh. Before I joined the Bureau I was with the NYPD and before that I spent six years in the Marine Corps. I was born in a pisswater town in Georgia called Democrat Hot Springs, which is where Monica took Scully to give birth to Will when Billy Miles and Krycek were tryin' to kill them. I don't smoke, I drink my coffee black and to my wife's great amusement, my favorite ice cream is Rocky Road."

Doggett finished his recital and fell silent, waiting for Mulder's response. After a moment the other man gave him a faint smile. "Well that was an interesting dissertation on your life history," he said dryly. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Relief was evident in Doggett's expression. "Thank you," he said simply. 

"What happened to you a year ago?" Mulder asked. "After the explosion everyone assumed that you had been killed along with Monica."

"I almost was," Doggett allowed. "The last thing I remember about that day was Monica screamin' at me that it was a trap, then all hell broke loose. I woke up two weeks later and the doctors told me that it was a miracle I was still alive. Aside from third and fourth degree burns to my face and hands from the fire, I'd broken all the bones in my face, broken or cracked half a dozen ribs, ruptured a kidney and every inch of me was bruised or battered."

"It must have been incredibly painful," Mulder remarked.

"Actually they had me on so much medication that I didn't really feel much of anything. Laurent is the head honcho here, and was the one who explained what would be involved in my recovery. He told me flat out that they'd have to literally reconstruct my face, which could only be done once the other injuries had healed to avoid sendin' my body into shock. After that they had to do a bunch of skin grafts to replace the skin that had burned off in the fire. Eventually they were able to repair all the damage and aside from the scars, I'm as good as new."

"What about Jessica? You have to know what it did to her when we all believed you were dead." 

A flicker of reserved anguish briefly passed across Doggett's face before vanishing. "There was nothin' I wanted more than to pick up the phone and tell Jess that I was alive," he replied. "But given the condition I was in Laurent couldn't guarantee me that despite the medical magic they'd worked on me, I wouldn't die anyway. I wasn't willin' to put Jess through my death a second time if it came to that."

"Having been there, done that, I can't dispute your reasoning," Mulder allowed. "But I'll give you fair warning now: Jessica isn't going to be as overjoyed at your resurrection as you want her to be. The last year has been incredibly difficult for her. She blames God for your death, and in her anger she lost her faith. She's not going to welcome you back with open arms."

Doggett sighed. "I don't expect to walk back into her life and pretend like nothin's happened. But the only reason I fought to stay alive is because I was determined to return to my family. If that means facin' Jess' wrath and havin' to jump through hoops to prove myself, so be it. Nothin' and no one is gonna keep me from my wife."

Mulder smiled. "Well then, let's go home."

The two men started for the door, then a sudden thought occurred to Mulder and he turned back around to face Doggett. "Just for the record," he began. "If this really is some kind of elaborate hoax and you turn out not to be John Doggett after I've returned you to my sister, I'll kill you myself."

"I'll keep that in mind."


	7. Chapter 7

Some time later, Mulder and Doggett were seated in companionable silence in the business section of the plane carrying them back to the States. It had taken substantial string pulling for Mulder to get Doggett a temporary passport without proper documentation, but once the French authorities had verified Mulder's status as an FBI agent, they had made the necessary arrangements. The men had not spoken much during the flight, each lost in their own thoughts about what Doggett's resurrection would mean once they got home. Yet the silence began to wear on Mulder's nerves, and he decided to engage Doggett in casual conversation.

"Any idea what you're going to say to Jessica when you see her?" Mulder asked.

"Assuming she doesn't deck me on the spot, I haven't the slightest idea," Doggett answered. "The obvious choice would be an apology, but somethin' tells me she won't be in the mood to hear it."

"She'll be substantially pissed when she finds out you're still alive," Mulder allowed, "but I doubt she's going to hit you. She may sic the dogs on you, though."

Doggett snorted. "Georgia may be willin' to try her luck, but Spooky and Semper Fi wouldn't dare."

"What is it with Jessica and these big dogs anyway?"

"Jess has always been crazy about animals, but she's got a soft spot for big dogs. The first time I met her she was bein' shadowed by an Irish wolfhound that weighed as much as I did."

"There's something else you should know before we reach D.C.," Mulder said. "Based upon the information we got from Burlinksi shortly after you were presumed killed, the clinics he told us about are being run by the Syndicate, and apparently Frans Stuckhold is in charge."

"Stuckhold?" Doggett echoed. "That's impossible. Just before I killed him in Mexico, Dieter said his father had died of a heart attack several months before."

"According to Burlinski, Frans faked his death to give his son the chance to take over the reigns of their operation, but was forced to resurface after you killed Dieter."

"Have you been able to verify his story?"

"In part, yes. I had the Gunmen do a search to try and locate a Death Certificate for Frans anywhere in Europe during the approximate time frame when Dieter told you his father had died. It took them a couple months to access all of the records, but eventually they discovered that there was no Death Certificate filed."

"Which means Frans is alive and continuin' to screw up other people's lives," Doggett muttered.

"It looks that way."

"Does Jess know?"

"She was there when Burlinski gave me the information, but otherwise she hasn't been involved in the investigation. She initially held me responsible for your death and we barely spoke for almost six months. But even after we made amends, I decided to keep her out of it. I felt that if Stuckhold decided to strike again, I'd be the more appealing target because I was the one with all the information."

"And Dana went along with that?"

"Scully's long accustomed to having me paint targets on my back," Mulder evaded. "She doesn't like it, but she's learned not to waste her time trying to change my mind."

"Stubborn is as stubborn does. That's somethin' you and your sister have in common."

"Speaking of my lovely little sister, have you considered that there is a remote possibility she won't forgive you for staying away for so long?"

"That won't happen," Doggett declared. "She's gonna be madder than a wet hen when she finds out I'm alive, but she won't stay mad indefinitely. Hell she even declared a truce with Elizabeth."

"Ah, yes; your notorious mother-in-law. Jessica invited her to your memorial service, by the way."

"Yeah, well, you don't grow up as a Senator's kid without gettin' protocol drilled into your brain, but dollars to doughnuts she didn't sit with Jess and the twins at the service."

Mulder smiled. "Actually she sat with Sarah and her family," he said. "How did you know?"

"I know Jess," was the simple reply.

"Obviously. At any rate, Elizabeth hasn't tried to contact Jessica, and nobody's gone after her either. So either they're finally leaving her alone, or they're just biding their time until they're ready to make another move."

"If they do I'm gonna make damn sure it's the last mistake they ever make," the other man vowed.

"You and me both."

Doggett shifted his gaze to stare out the window. "Do you ever wonder what your life would've been like if you hadn't met Scully?" he asked softly. "What kind of person you'd be now if you two hadn't found each other?"

"To be perfectly honest I try not to," Mulder answered. "The idea of never loving Scully or being given Will is scarier than anything I've faced on the X files."

"Unfortunately I've done nothin' but think about my life without Jess for the past thirteen months, and if it had come to a choice between dyin' in that explosion or spendin' the rest of my life alone, I'd have taken death hands down."

"I'll second that emotion."

Doggett afforded him a sideways glance. "You're a good guy, Mulder," he replied. "Granted you annoy the hell out me most of the time, but you're a good friend, and you've been a good brother to Jess. Thanks for watchin' over her."

"Just repaying old debts, Agent Doggett. Once upon a time I was MIA and you took my family under your protection. I figured it was past time I returned the favor."

"I still owe you a kick in the ass for that 'Property of John Doggett' T-shirt, though."

"I'll make a note of it."

**WASHINGTON D.C**.

Mulder had called Scully from the plane and requested that she meet him at FBI Headquarters, saying only that he was returning home with a significant new development in John's case. More than a little curious about his evasiveness, Scully arranged to have one of her assistants finish her class and headed across town to the Hoover Building. Making her way to the basement office she once shared with Mulder and Doggett, Scully walked inside to find her husband seated at his desk.

"All right, Mulder," she said. "I'm here as summoned. What is this 'significant new development' in John's case?"

"What would you say if I told you John's not dead?" Mulder asked.

"I'd say you had one too many glasses of champagne on the flight home," Scully responded dryly.

"Just bear with me for a minute. Medically speaking what would be involved in restoring the face of someone who had been in an accident and suffered third and fourth degree burns on their face, as well as multiple fractures of the facial bones?"

Scully gave him a curious look, but nonetheless answered, "Well assuming that they survived the initial burns, it would involve a series of surgeries designed to both repair the broken bones and build a foundation of muscle and tissue that could be used as a base for skin grafts. The bones would have to be set first, and once they were stabilized the grafting could be done."

"What would that entail?"

"I'm not a surgeon, but my guess would be that they would start with sheet grafts - literal sheets of skin taken from unburned areas on the patient - and use them to create a protective cover of sorts to allow the muscle time to heal before they began permanent grafting. Aside from being incredibly painful, the procedure would require extensive medical technology and take place over several months. And even if the patient survived through all the surgeries without developing infections or simply dying from shock, they'd most likely be horribly scarred."

Mulder glanced at a point beyond Scully, on her right. "Well aside from the scarring she pretty much hit the nail on the head," he remarked.

From behind her a masculine voice declared impatiently, "Why don't you just cut the crap, Mulder, and explain to her what the hell you're gettin' at with all the questions?"

Scully's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the voice, and she turned around to discover Doggett seated in a char near the door. She studied him in silence for a moment, her trained eye recognizing the surgical scars, and it registered then why Mulder had been asking for information about reconstructive surgery. "John?" she asked hesitantly.

He graced her with the ghost of a smile. "Long time no see, Doctor Scully."

The redhead briefly shot an astonished glance at Mulder before returning her attention to Doggett. "How is this possible?" she asked. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Don't sound so disappointed, Scully," Mulder interjected drolly.

"Where have you been?" Scully demanded. "We've all spent the last thirteen months mourning you, and Jessica has blamed everybody but the postman for your death. Why the hell didn't you pick up a phone and call her? Or us?"

_And so it begins_, Doggett thought silently, knowing that Scully was just the first round in a long line of people – starting with his wife – who would be angry at his absence and skeptical over his return. "I was in one of the clinics Burlinski told us about," he told her. "And I didn't call because up until a few months ago the doctors weren't sure I was gonna survive. I didn't want to tell Jess or anyone else I hadn't died in the explosion until I knew I wasn't gonna die from the injuries I'd suffered in it."

Scully shook her head. "This is unbelievable," she muttered.

Doggett glanced at Mulder. "I want to see Jess."

"I know, John, but we can't just drive over to Alexandria, march into her precinct and announce you've returned from the dead," Mulder replied. "Until we know for certain who blew up that clinic, and what Stuckhold and Elizabeth are up to, you need to keep a low profile."

"I don't give a damn if Stuckhold and Elizabeth are planning to replace the entire US government with alien replicas and super soldiers," Doggett snapped. "I want to see my wife."

"Fine. I'll get her here, but you are going to stay quiet and out of sight until I tell her what's happened."

Doggett sent him annoyed glare but gave a curt nod of silent agreement.

**ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA**

Inside the conference room of Alexandria P.D., Jessica was finishing a detectives meeting when her cell phone rang, and she dismissed her officers as she retrieved it from her coat. "Jessica Doggett."

"Good afternoon, Captain," Mulder greeted formally. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not really. What can I do for you?"

"If you can spare the time, I was hoping you could stop by my office this afternoon," Mulder requested. "There's been a new development in John's case I think you should be made aware of."

"Can't you just fax it to me, or explain it over the phone?"

"Sorry, little sister, but this requires a more personal touch."

Jessica sighed, and glanced at her watch. "Fine. I have some things to finish up here but I should be able to make it into D.C. by 5:00."

"I'll see you then."

**HOOVER BUILDING**

At precisely five o'clock, Jessica pulled her Expedition into the Bureau's parking lot. After a brief stop at the front desk to flash her badge and receive her visitor's pass, she made her way down to the basement. As she approached the X files office, she could hear Mulder engaged in a mild argument with Scully.

"I really think you should have given Jessica some kind of warning before summoning her here," Scully said. "You can't just drop this in her lap out of nowhere and expect her to run with it."

"She has a right to know the truth, Scully," Mulder countered.

"A truth that has yet to be proven."

"That's why we're bringing her here."

Curious as to what they were discussing, Jessica walked into the office and saw Scully standing beside Mulder's desk, and he was seated behind it.

"Jessica," Mulder said. "Thanks for coming."

"So let's hear what this mysterious new information is that you have regarding John's death," Jessica replied.

"What would you say if I told you that John wasn't killed in the explosion last year?" Mulder asked his sister

"Really…and next you'll tell me the Pope is Jewish, right?"

Mulder ignored the jibe. "He was critically wounded, but he did survive and was taken to a clinic overseas to recover."

"Let me guess…one of the same clinics run by Stuckhold where Burlinski claimed that the doctors were using alien technology to perform medical miracles? And I suppose John has just been hanging out with these wonder doctors for the past year while everyone who cared about him believed him to be dead?"

"That's an oversimplification, but in essence, yes."

"Uh-huh. Well then, why don't we just hop on the next flight to Europe and track him down so we can have a family reunion? I'd love to hear all about these marvelous medical procedures that are so sacred Monica and a dozen other people died to keep them secret."

"Jessica…" Scully began.

"Save it, Dana!" Jessica snapped. "I've got to hand it to you, Fox. For a man of your intelligence you are certainly capable of some remarkably stupid stunts. I can't begin to fathom what you hoped to accomplish by bringing me here and feeding me some lame story about John surviving the explosion, but I'm sorry to disappoint you. I was there, remember? I watched that warehouse burn to the ground with Monica and John inside of it. I stood in Skinner's office and died inside when you told me that the D.C. fire department shifted through the ashes, and found nothing but John's partially melted wedding band. So don't stand there and try to convince me that my husband isn't dead, because I know better. And damn you for wanting to make me believe anything else."

"He's not dead, Jessica!" Mulder exclaimed in exasperation. "He's standing right behind you."

Doggett stepped out of the shadows as Jessica turned to face him, and her eyes widened with shock as the blood drained from her face. For the briefest of moments, she feared she might faint, but the sensation quickly passed and she stared at the man in front of her. He was slightly thinner than he had been the last time she had seen him, and the scars were obviously new, but there was no mistaking the face that had haunted her dreams for most of the past thirteen months.

"John?" she managed in a shaky whisper.

"Hello, Jess."

"This isn't possible…you're dead…"

Doggett flashed her a faint smile as he walked over to stand in front of her. "If I were dead, we wouldn't be havin' this conversation," he teased. "I'm no ghost, sweetheart."

Still not entirely sure she wasn't hallucinating, Jessica cautiously lifted a hand to touch his face, gently placing her palm against his cheek. The smooth skin was warm to the touch, although slightly bristly along his jaw from his shadow, and Jessica's eyes filled with tears as the reality of his presence finally registered.

"Oh, God…you're really here…"

His own eyes welling with tears, Doggett mirrored his wife's gesture and lifted his hand to lightly caress her cheek. "Now that we've established I'm not an illusion, do you think I could get a hug?"

The jibe shattered Jessica's control, and she buried her face in Doggett's chest as she began to cry. Doggett wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her to him, grateful beyond words to be with her again. Locked in one another's embrace, both felt thirteen months of anger, fear, and anguish slowly melt away. After a moment, however, a sudden thought occurred to Jessica and she wiped the tears from her face as she pulled out of his embrace.

"This happy little reunion is well and good, but it occurs to me that you may very well be the latest weapon in Stuckhold's war against me," she said.

"Meanin' what?" Doggett asked.

"How do I know you're really John Doggett, and not some bio-engineered look-alike sent to deliver me into the hands of Stuckhold?"

Doggett glanced at Mulder. "You been coachin' her about this paranoia stuff, Mulder?" he asked dryly.

"Those are obviously surgical scars on your face," Jessica replied. "How do I know that you haven't had surgery to make you look like John?"

"I have had extensive surgery, Jess," Doggett admitted quietly, "but not for the reason you think. I was badly burned in the explosion and the doctors were forced to reconstruct my face."

Jessica glanced at Scully. "Please tell that you're not buying into this."

"It does make a certain amount of sense," Scully allowed, "and I certainly saw stranger things while working on the X files."

Jessica glanced back at Doggett. "I don't know how or why you've managed to convince my brother that you're actually John Doggett, and frankly I don't care. But I knew John for thirty-five years and it will take a hell of a lot more than this fairy tale you've concocted to convince me that you're him."

"How about a polygraph test?" Mulder suggested.

"I've been a police officer for twenty-three years, Fox; I know how unreliable those tests can be."

"If I was a crime suspect and you were tryin' to validate my alibi, you'd interrogate me," Doggett interjected.

"You're asking me to interrogate you to prove you're John?"

"Why not? Ask me questions that only the 'real' John Doggett would know the answer to."

"This is absurd…"

"Your middle name is Alexandra," Doggett said suddenly, "after Elizabeth's mother. Mine is Jeremiah, after my father."

"What was your father's chosen profession?"

"He was a Baptist minister."

"And your mother?"

"Her name was Rose, and she was a pre-school teacher. My older sister Emily now teaches at the same school."

"How many children does Emily have?"

"She has five; three sons and two daughters – Daniel, Jonah, Barrett, Desiree and Jennifer."

"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

"Rocky Road."

"Your favorite football team?"

"Atlanta Falcons."

Jessica paused then, and Mulder reached behind himself to retrieve his mug of coffee off the desk, bringing it to his mouth just as his sister asked her next question.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?" she inquired casually.

Mulder promptly choked on his coffee as Doggett flushed and Scully smiled in amusement.

"You really want me to answer that question here?" Doggett pressed.

"The interrogation was your idea," Jessica reminded him coolly. "And it is certainly a question only John Doggett would know the answer to."

Doggett met her gaze, and after a moment answered. "We were both virgins on our wedding night."

The captain released a heavy sigh. "You can't seriously expect me to believe any of this," she replied.

"I'm tellin' you the truth, Jess," Doggett said quietly.

"There is one way to definitively determine whether or not he is John," Scully interjected, and at the others expectant glances, added, "I could do a DNA test and compare it against John's medical records."

"And that will prove that he's John Doggett?"

"It will certainly prove it if he's not," Scully allowed.

Jessica paused. "How soon can you do the test?" she asked.

Scully glanced at Doggett. "If you're willing, we can head to the forensics lab and take a sample right now," she said. "It shouldn't take more than an hour or so to run the analysis on your blood and get a DNA comparison."

"Then let's do it," Doggett declared.

Forty-five minutes later, Mulder, Jessica and Doggett were once again sequestered in the X files office, awaiting the return of Scully and the results of the DNA tests. Jessica had remained stubbornly silent after her initial reunion with Doggett, and in an effort to ease the tension he and Mulder had engaged in general small talk about what had transpired at the Bureau in Doggett's absence.

"I still can't believe they made Potter an A.D.," Doggett said. "The man would be out of his depth in a rain puddle."

Mulder shrugged. "They needed to get the position filled, and with you assumed dead and the higher ups reluctant to bring in another outsider, they gave the job to Bernie."

"Does he still follow after Kersh like a lost puppy?"

"No. One of the reasons he got the promotion was to keep him busy enough so he couldn't shadow Kersh. They gave him an office across the hall from Walter."

"I'm sure Skinner's lovin' the company."

As if to speak of the devil, the intercom on Mulder's desk buzzed and Skinner's voice filtered out. "Agent Mulder, are you there?"

"Yes, sir."

"Would you please come up to my office for a moment? There's something I need to discuss with you."

"I'm on my way."

Mulder flicked off the intercom and started for the door. "Play nice, kids. I'll be back shortly."

He exited the office, and Jessica was alone with Doggett for the first time in thirteen months. Not wanting to further upset her, Doggett remained silent to allow her to start a conversation. Yet when almost a full minute passed and his wife remained stubbornly silent, he decided to switch strategies.

"Are the Three Stooges still runnin' the twins ragged?" he asked.

Jessica acknowledged the question without glancing in his direction. "Who or what are the 'Three Stooges'?" she asked with feigned ignorance.

"Our dogs; Georgia, Spooky and Semper Fi."

"Which one's the collie?"

"None of 'em. Georgia's a bulldog and the others are extra large Saint Bernards, although last I saw Georgia was the one in charge."

A sudden memory popped into Jessica's brain, and she permitted herself a small smile. "Just goes to show that when you're dealing with females of any species, size doesn't matter," she responded softly, her tone free of the hostility and suspicion that had colored it since her arrival.

_A light at the end of the tunnel_, Doggett thought in relief, gratified that he was finally making even miniscule progress. "Is it so difficult to accept that I might be who I say I am?" he asked gently. "That what I've told you about the explosion and the surgery is the truth?"

Jessica offered no verbal response, but a flicker of some unidentifiable emotion passed across her elegant features for the briefest of moments, and Doggett knew he had hit the proverbial nail on the head. "That's it, isn't it?" he pressed. "You're worried that maybe I am tellin' the truth and you don't know how to deal with that."

"If for argument's sake you are John Doggett, then that means you made a conscious choice to spend the last thirteen months away from me, and our children, and to allow us to believe you were dead. That's what I don't know how to deal with."

"I wish I could offer you an explanation that made sense, or hurt less, but I can't."

"Well that's honest, at least."

He took a step toward her, and although she shot him a wary glance, he took it as encouragement that she didn't step away from him. Taking another step closer, Doggett closed the distance between them and slowly reached over to take her hand in his. The physical contact caused a small flicker of awareness to pass between them, a reaction that Doggett had produced in Jessica since the first time she had seen him so many years ago. Feeling it now, after believing for the last thirteen months that she would never feel it again, caused her heart to constrict.

_Please, God…don't let this be some kind of cruel trick, _she pleaded silently

Her train of thought must have been evident on her face, and Doggett flashed her a small smile as he idly ran his thumb across her wedding bands. "I feel it too," he replied softly. "The mysterious spark that flares to life whenever I touch you. It's not dead, Jess, any more than I am."

Scully returned then and walked into the office carrying an unmarked folder. The tension in the air was nearly palpable, and she shifted her gaze from Jessica to Doggett. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked carefully.

Jessica glanced at her sister-in-law as she withdrew her hand from Doggett's. "Are those the test results?" she prompted.

"Yes," Scully confirmed. "I'll spare you the list of the technicalities involved, but suffice it to say that the DNA test proves this man is John J. Doggett."

Doggett released the breath he didn't know he had been holding as Jessica momentarily closed her eyes in an attempt to control the flood of emotion that poured through her at the revelation. Doggett automatically took another step toward her, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her arm, but she stepped away from him. "Don't touch me!"

"Jess…"

"I need some time to deal with this, Jo…"

She stopped in mid-sentence, still unwilling to address him by name in spite of the test results, and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I need some time to deal with this," she repeated. "I know the test results prove that you are John, but understanding it intellectually and accepting it emotionally are two different entities."

"So what – I'm supposed to stay away from you until you're ready to deal with me bein' alive?" Doggett prompted irritably.

Jessica shot him an angry glance. "Don't get self-righteous with me," she retorted. "You're the one who stayed away for over a year. I've spent the last thirteen months mourning you, and I can't just flip a switch to turn off my grief. Not to mention the issues involved in explaining this to the twins."

Knowing she was right, his ire cooled considerably. "You're right," he relented. "I'm sorry."

Pacified by the apology, Jessica made an attempt to meet him halfway. "I need to pick up the children at Sarah's," she said. "Why don't you get things resolved here regarding your return and then you can meet me at Sarah's. In the meantime I'll do what I can to help them understand what's happened."

Doggett nodded in silent acknowledgement, and Jessica bid farewell to Scully before leaving the office. Once she was gone, Doggett released another sigh.

"Mulder warned me before we left France that Jess wasn't gonna be overjoyed to have me back," he remarked. "Obviously he was right."

Scully gave him a small smile. "Give her a little time, John," she said gently. "It's a bit much to take in all at once."

He afforded her a sideways glance. "Speakin' from experience?" he prompted.

"In a way," Scully allowed. "If you were Jessica, wouldn't you be a little out of sorts?"

"I'd be pissed as hell."

Scully's smile widened. "Then you see my point."

Doggett returned her smile. "You certainly seem to be takin' all of this in stride," he observed.

"I've seen stranger things than your return from the dead, and I have a six year old son who is living proof that miracles can happen. So while you being alive will take some getting used to, it doesn't have the same emotional impact for me that it does for Jessica. But it's nice to have you back."

"Thanks."

They exchanged a hug just as Scully's cell phone rang, and she pulled it out of her coat. "Dana Scully."

"It's me," Mulder's voice said. "Did you get the test results?"

"I have them in my hand as we speak."

"And?"

"And your competition for the agent most likely to annoy Kersh is back amongst the fold," Scully told him. "The tests proved conclusively that he is John."

"Are he and Jessica still with you?" Mulder asked.

"John is, but Jessica left to go explain what's happened to the twins."

"Well I'm in Skinner's office and he wants to see John and the test results right away."

"We'll be right up."

Scully replaced her phone in her pocket and met Doggett's inquiring gaze. "That was Mulder. Skinner wants to see you in his office immediately."

"Just like old times," Doggett muttered.

"You'd better get used to it," Scully said. "DNA tests or not, you're going to have to convince a whole lot of people you're really you before you get the rest of your life back."

"Bring it on," Doggett declared.


	8. Chapter 8

Two minutes later, Scully and Doggett entered Skinner's office and walked over to stand in front of his desk. The A.D. momentarily ignored Doggett as he focused on Scully. "Are those the test results?" he asked, and gestured at the folder in her hand.

"Yes, sir," Scully confirmed, and handed him the file.

Skinner opened it and scanned the papers inside, reviewing them carefully before closing the file and looking at Doggett. "Well Agent Doggett, it looks like you've finally become your own worst nightmare," the older man remarked. "A walking, talking X-file."

Doggett managed a small smile. "Considerin' my wife is one as well, that puts me in very good company," he replied.

"Speaking of Captain Doggett, how is she taking all of this?" Skinner asked.

"Better than I would be," Doggett allowed, "but she isn't exactly overwhelmed with joy at my return. She's gone over to Sarah Caldwell's house to try and explain to the twins what's happened."

Skinner shot a questioning glance at Mulder and silently mouthed _'Samuel?_' Mulder discreetly shook his head, and the older man let it pass.

"Where have you been, Agent Doggett?" Skinner asked. "And how in God's name did you survive the explosion? There were two witnesses – one of whom was your wife – who watched the building burn to the ground with you inside of it."

"Frankly, Assistant Director, I really don't want to get into all of that right now. I need to head over to Sarah's and see my kids."

"Deputy Director Kersh is going to want to meet with you," Skinner said. "DNA tests or not, he's not going to just accept your story at face value and hand you your job back on a silver platter."

"Kersh and his cronies can keep the job," Doggett countered. "I came back to reclaim my family."

That earned him a small smile from Skinner, who rose to his feet. "Well the attitude certainly remains the same," he remarked, and extended his hand. "It's good to have you back, John."

"Thank you, sir," Doggett responded, and the two men exchanged a handshake.

"Well now that we're all happy to have John home, I think he should catch up with Jessica," Mulder replied. "I know he's anxious to see the twins, and I'm sure Jessica will want him to meet Sam."

"Sam?" Doggett echoed. "Who's Sam?"

Mulder gave him a look of feigned innocence. "Oh, I didn't mention Sam?" he asked innocently. "He came to live with Jessica and the twins about six months ago."

"You're tellin' me that Jess is livin' with somebody?" Doggett demanded. "Why the hell didn't you say somethin' before now? And why didn't Jess mention this Sam guy?"

"In all of the hullabaloo over your return it must have slipped her mind," Mulder suggested.

Shooting Mulder a glare that bespoke future retaliation, Doggett glanced at Skinner. "Are we done here, sir?"

"For now."

Without bothering to bid anyone farewell, Doggett spun on his heel and strode out Skinner's office. Once he was gone, Scully addressed her husband.

"You realize that once he discovers Sam is his son, you're a dead man."

Mulder merely smiled.

**ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA**

Parking her car at the curb in front of Sarah's home, Jessica climbed out and slowly made her way up the lawn to the front door. Taking a deep breath to steel herself for the coming discussion with her children, she rang the bell, and a moment later the door opened to reveal her nephew Cameron Caldwell. At almost twenty-one, Cameron was the spitting image of her brother Scott, and she felt the same small twinge of regret that always struck her when she realized he would never see the man his oldest son was becoming.

_Scott would have been so proud of him_, she mused sadly.

"Hey, Aunt Jessica," Cameron greeted.

"Hey yourself," she responded, and they exchanged a hug before Cameron stepped aside and Jessica walked inside the house. "Is your mom here?"

"She's on the phone with the hospital," Cameron told her.

"How are the kids?"

"Sam's asleep in my old room, and Eric took the twins to the park to watch he and a few of his friends play football."

The captain nodded just as Sarah Caldwell emerged from the other room and gave her sister-in-law a warm smile.

"Hi, Jessica."

"Hi, Sarah."

Sarah glanced at her son. "Are you staying for dinner?" she asked.

Cameron shook his head. "Not tonight. I've got a date."

"Lucky girl. Have fun."

"I will. Night, Mom. Bye, Aunt Jessica."

"Bye, Cameron."

The young man exited the house and Jessica waited until he had closed the door behind him before addressing Sarah. "There's something I need to tell you," she began, "and I need you to keep an open mind because it's going to sound crazy."

"All right."

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it," Jessica replied. "John's not dead."

"Excuse me?"

"I got a call from Fox a couple of hours ago, and he asked me to meet him at the Bureau because he had new information about John's death."

"Is Mulder claiming that John is still alive?" Sarah prompted.

"John was with Fox and Dana when I arrived at the Bureau. Apparently he wasn't killed in the explosion last year, but was only critically wounded. He has allegedly been in some mysterious overseas clinic recovering, and because of the extent of his injuries underwent extensive reconstructive surgery. I asked him a series of questions that only John would know the answers to, all of which he answered correctly, and Dana did a DNA test that proved he is John Doggett."

Sarah shook her head. "This is unbelievable," she replied. "I can only imagine what you're going through right now."

Jessica flashed the older woman a small smile. "At the moment I'm torn between jumping his bones and slapping his face," she responded wryly. "I came over here before I had a chance to do either."

"What are you going to tell the twins?"

"As much as I can, though I don't know much more than what I've told you. John's all but admitted he stayed away by choice, but I have yet to hear an explanation as to why."

Sarah gave her sympathetic smile. "Whatever explanation he gives you, just remember that he loves you, and you love him. Everything else is water under the bridge."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jessica said.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Doggett, and he flashed the women a tentative smile as he approached. "Ladies," he greeted.

"Hello, John," Sarah greeted. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to be seen."

Sarah gave him an encouraging smile before excusing herself and leaving him alone with Jessica.

"I didn't hear the doorbell," the captain said.

"I ran into Cameron outside and he told me the door was open," Doggett replied.

"How did he react to the revelation that you're alive?"

"He was surprised naturally, but once he got over it he made a comment along the lines of 'its nice to see that the bad guys don't always win'."

"I'll second that."

"So when do I get to meet Sam?" Doggett inquired casually.

Surprise flickered across Jessica's beautiful face. "How do you know about Sam?"

"Mulder told me," Doggett said. "He said that this Sam has been livin' with you and the kids for about six months now."

Something in his phrasing struck Jessica as odd, and after a moment it registered why. "You think I'm living with someone?" she asked. "Another man?"

"I don't hear you denyin' it."

To Doggett's surprise, his wife suddenly burst into laughter, and he felt his heart twist. _Damn but I've missed hearing that laugh_, he thought to himself. Aloud he asked, "Care to share the joke?"

It took a full minute before Jessica regained enough control to reply. "I don't know what I find funnier," she began. "You believing that I could actually get involved with someone else or you believing a word that comes out of Fox's mouth."

His irritation was quickly turning to confusion. "Well if this Sam guy ain't your boyfriend, then who is he and why the hell is he livin' in our house?"

"Why don't I bring him out here so you can meet him? Once you do, you'll have the answers to your questions."

Smiling to herself, Jessica left the living room and made her way down the hall to retrieve her still sleeping son from Cameron's room. Careful not to awaken him, she gathered him in her arms and made her way back to the living room. Doggett glanced over expectantly at her return, and she gave him a warm smile as she walked over to stand in front of him.

"John Jeremiah Doggett, meet Samuel John Doggett, also known as Sam."

His ice blue eyes widened with shock. "Our son?" he prompted incredulously.

"Yes. I found out I was pregnant the day of your memorial service."

Jessica handed him the baby, and Doggett gazed down at the sleeping infant with adoration and wonder etched in his features. "Hello little man," he greeted softly. "If you aren't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. After your mama of course."

As if sensing the import of this meeting, Sam chose that moment to awaken, and with a dramatic yawn he opened his eyes to focus his sleepy gaze on his father. At just over six months Sam was even more of a replica of Doggett than he had been at birth, complete with the ice blue eyes. He studied Doggett with a typical infant's curiosity, and after a moment he raised his tiny hands toward Doggett's face, trying to touch him. The gesture caused Doggett's heart to constrict, and he felt his eyes well with tears.

"You know me, don't you? You know that I'm your daddy, and that you're a part of me."

Doggett wasn't the only one whose eyes were welling up. Watching Doggett with their son, and seeing the reverence in his expression, was the final evidence she needed to accept that he was John.

_Whatever my issues are with his absence and return, there's no denying he is John,_ she mused.

Aloud she asked, "I don't suppose it would do any good to ask you not to retaliate against Fox for making you think that Sam was my new housemate?"

"None at all."

**RABAT, MOROCCO**

"Baron Stuckhold?"

He glanced up to see his majordomo standing in the doorway to his study. "Yes, Rolf?"

"Your guests have arrived, my lord. Shall I show them in?"

"By all means."

Rolf half-bowed in acknowledgement and vanished as silently as he had appeared. A moment later a trio of men of varying nationalities but all roughly the same age as Stuckhold entered the room. The group exchanged formal greetings before settling themselves in the various chairs in the room.

"Gentlemen, I have gathered you here to update you on the status of Project Phoenix. I spoke with Laurent two days ago and he informed me that Agent Mulder has retrieved Agent Doggett from the Paris clinic and returned home with him."

"Then the surgeries to repair his face were successful," the American surmised.

"Quite. I have not yet had an opportunity to view the results firsthand, but it is my understanding that aside from a few minor surgical scars, Agent Doggett's face is as good as new. Laurent said that the alien DNA tripled the normal recovery rate for the burned tissue, and stimulated the rejuvenation process to the extent that eventually even the surgical scars will disappear."

"What of his knowledge of the clinic?" queried a silver haired man with a South African accent. "If he knows of its existence, surely he intends to share that information."

"Not if he is made to understand that should he do so, those closest to him will pay the price," Stuckhold replied.

"I hope you don't intend to have Jessica Doggett abducted again," the American said. "Dieter tried that tactic and not only allowed her husband to retrieve her, but got himself killed in the process."

"My son made a fatal error in allowing Agent Doggett to discover that he was the one responsible for Captain Doggett's abduction," Stuckhold responded. "Knowing what he did of Agent Doggett's history, he should have known better than to keep her on the same continent as her husband, let alone within fifty miles of the town where he abandoned him. And his determination to succeed where he felt I had failed forty years before blinded him to the reality involved in taking Captain Doggett away from her family."

"So if you don't intend to abduct Jessica Doggett, what is your plan?" the South African asked.

"I will threaten the Doggetts with the lives of their charming young children. Despite the extremely limited exposure the twins had to the testing during Captain Doggett's pregnancy, they are all ready showing signs of the same genetic enhancements as their mother. And their infant son is merely six months old, more than young enough to be used as a viable subject."

"Surely you don't believe that you would stand a chance in Hades of getting within one hundred yards of any member of that family as long as Agent Doggett is alive," the American remarked. "And Agent Mulder may not be as lethal as his brother-in-law, but I have no doubt he would be a formidable adversary should he discover the threat to his sister's family."

"If it comes to that, Mulder and Doggett will both be eliminated along with their wives, and all of their children will be taken. The clock is ticking, Gentlemen; we have to move swiftly to ensure the work of the Syndicate will continue."

The others nodded in silent agreement.

**FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA**

That evening, the Doggett family had returned home and John was putting the twins to bed as Jessica cleaned the kitchen. Grace and Matthew had naturally been confused about Doggett's return from the dead, but nonetheless were obviously delighted to have their father back. After the twins near immediate acceptance of him, Doggett had hoped it would ease the tension between he and Jessica, but while not as cold to him as she had been at the Bureau, they were still a far cry from the devoted husband and wife they had been before his presumed death.

Once the twins were tucked in, Doggett made his way into the adjacent bedroom to check on Samuel, and found the infant sound asleep. He watched him silence for a moment, his guilt over having missed the baby's first six months overshadowing his joy over his new son. Eventually he pressed a gentle kiss to Samuel's head and made his way downstairs. Jessica was putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher when he approached, and he flashed her a small smile.

"Well Gracie and Matthew are down for the count," he said, "and Samuel's sleepin' like a baby, no pun intended."

"Thankfully he's been a pretty sound sleeper since he was born," Jessica told him. "He usually sleeps for four or five hours at a stretch."

"I seem to remember that the twins were up every couple of hours or so."

"They were, which makes it all the nicer that Samuel sleeps for long stretches. It's a little harder to deal with the night feedings when you're doing it solo."

"Ouch."

"I'm sorry," Jessica apologized. "I didn't mean that to sound like I was sniping at you again."

"It's ok. In your place I'd be just as mad as you are."

Not knowing how to respond without rehashing the argument of why he had stayed away, Jessica remained silent, and Doggett changed the subject. "I like what you've done to the house," he remarked. "When did you add on the extra rooms?"

"Well when I first discovered I was pregnant, I knew that this house as it was wouldn't be large enough for three kids and three dogs. I originally planned to buy a new one, but after thinking about it I decided the twins had enough upheaval with your death. I didn't want to add to their stress level by moving them into a new home. So I added a third bedroom next to the twins' room and created a home office over the garage."

"Must be a lot easier workin' in an actual study then scatterin' papers around the living room," Doggett replied.

Jessica gave him a sad smile. "Actually I did it because if was down here at night alone, it brought back too many memories of evenings we spent fighting for couch space while working on our respective cases. Building the study was one way to avoid your ghost."

Doggett sighed. "It always comes back to that, doesn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "I don't know how many more times I can apologize for causin' you that pain, Jess, but I stayed away because I was tryin' to avoid doin' just that. When I woke up in that clinic in France, one of the first things the doctors told me was that I could still die. I wasn't willin' to drag you overseas just to watch me die all over again."

"That should have been my choice to make," Jessica countered.

"Do you really think you could have dealt with seein' me that way? You're havin' a hard enough time acceptin' me with a face that's fairly easy on the eyes. If you'd seen me before they did the surgeries you would have run screamin' out the door."

"Do you really think I'm so shallow that the scars or the disfigurement would have changed my love for you?" his wife prompted.

"It has nothin' do with you, Jess; it's a fact. They didn't even let me see myself until they'd finished all the surgeries a year later. Once they had, one of the doctors showed me a picture of what I looked like before they began their work, and it almost made me physically ill."

Now it was Jessica's turn to sigh. "We're wasting time rehashing the same argument and it changes nothing," she said. "Obviously you did what you thought was best and I can accept that. But I can't just flip a switch and pretend the last thirteen months didn't happen. I need time to adjust to you being alive."

"If you want time, Jess, I'll give you time. But I'm not goin' to let what happened cost us our marriage. We've fought too long and too hard to rebuild our family to let Stuckhold or anybody else tear it apart."

Her eyes widened at his mention of Stuckhold. "I see Fox didn't waste any time filling you in on his theory about Frans' role in all of this. Back from the dead barely a day and all ready he's trying to recruit your help in uncovering his latest conspiracy."

"It's what I do, Jess."

"It's what killed Monica and almost killed you," Jessica returned.

Doggett sighed again. "It's been a long day for both of us," he said. "Can we call a truce for tonight and pick this up tomorrow?"

"Fine. The couch in the den folds out into a bed, and there are some blankets stashed in the closet. Unfortunately I gave away all of your clothes, so I don't have anything for you to sleep in."

"Our bed would be my first choice," Doggett responded dryly.

"If you seriously think I'm going to let you back into my bed just like that, you are dead wrong. No pun intended."

"And how do you think it's gonna look to the kids if we're sleepin' apart? Not exactly a ringin' endorsement of your belief that I'm me."

Jessica paused, knowing he had a point but unwilling to concede it aloud, and Doggett continued.

"All we're talkin' about here is sleepin', Jess. Literally."

She gave him an assessing glance. "Scout's honor?" she prompted.

He smiled. "Cross my heart."

"Just stay on your side of the bed."

"Yes, Ma'am."

**GEORGETOWN**

Strolling into the kitchen, Scully discovered Mulder seated at the table reviewing a case file, and seated herself in the adjacent chair. "Burning the midnight oil?" she prompted softly.

Mulder glanced up and flashed her a small smile. "Something like that," he allowed. "I promised Skinner I'd have this report on his desk first thing in the morning."

"Given the day's events I'm sure he'd understand if you turn it in a little late," Scully said.

"I suppose so."

"You haven't said much since we left Headquarters this afternoon."

"Just thinking about everything that's happened in the last twenty-four hours and hoping I made the right decision by bringing John back to Jessica," Mulder replied.

"I can't imagine why there would be any doubt about that."

He shrugged. "There shouldn't be," he agreed.

"But?" Scully prompted.

Mulder glanced at her. "Laurent didn't save John's life out of the goodness of his heart, Scully, and he certainly didn't allow me to retrieve him simply because he's a nice guy. He answers to somebody, and that somebody wanted John brought back here for a reason."

"You think its Stuckhold."

"He's the most likely candidate, but I doubt he's the one responsible for rescuing John from the fire last year. And the question still remains as to why he was rescued to begin with. Why was he spared and not Monica? If these people are so desperate to keep their secret that they're killing federal agents and US soldiers, why bother to save John's life at all? There's another agenda at work here, Scully, and unless and until we can figure out what it is and who's behind it, John and Jessica are still in danger. I hate to say it, but as much as I care about him, maybe it would have been better for everyone if John had stayed dead."

She reached across the table and covered his hands with one of hers. "I share your concern for John and your sister, Mulder, but whatever happens you have to know that you did the right thing. You've given Jessica back the other part of her soul, just as John did for me when he helped find you all those years ago. Having been where Jessica is, I promise you that despite her issues with his absence and return, she's immensely happier to have him back than still be mourning his loss."

"On the plane ride home, John asked me if I ever thought about what my life would be like if I had never met you," Mulder replied softly. "I can't imagine anything scarier than living my life without you in it. I know I drive you crazy most of the time, but you have to know how much I love you."

Scully gave him a loving smile. "I do," she assured him. "But just to be safe, why don't you escort me back upstairs and prove it to me?"

Mulder smiled back. "Best offer I've had all night."

**FALLS CHURCH**

The following morning, Doggett awoke early and found the bed beside him empty. He rolled to his side intending to get out of bed and locate Jessica, only to discover she was seated in a chair a few feet away, watching him.

"Good mornin' beautiful," he greeted.

"Good morning, yourself."

"You been sittin' in that chair long?"

"Most of the night," Jessica answered.

"What for?"

"I was afraid that if I went to sleep, I would wake up to discover you were still dead and yesterday was only a dream," came the quiet reply.

Doggett felt his heart twist at her remark. _Ah, Jess_, he thought. _I love you_. Sliding out of bed, he crossed over to kneel beside her chair. Taking her hands in his, he placed them on either side of his face as he gave her a warm smile. "I'm still here, sweetheart, and I'm not goin' anywhere," he assured her.

"I'm scared, John."

"Of what?"

"Of losing you again. I lived through your death once; I couldn't survive it a second time."

"You won't have to."

Jessica sighed. "You make that promise so easily," she said, and pulled their joined hands off of Doggett's face to settle in her lap. "I wish I could convey to you what the last 13 months have been like for me. I would wake up in the morning and reach for you, but you weren't there. The empty space caused the reality of your death to hit me all over again and another piece of my soul would wither away. I would watch Sam in his playpen and wonder how old he would be before he realized he didn't have a Daddy. I'd think about what to tell him when he asked about you, or how I could protect all of the children from the forces that are determined to destroy our family."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Jess. Believe me I'd like to erase the last thirteen months, too. Wakin' up alone at that clinic in Paris, not knowin' when or if I'd ever see you and the twins again, scared the crap outta me. I was worried that whoever had takin' out the clinic in D.C. was gonna target you and the kids and I wouldn't be there to stop it. The only thing that kept me sane was prayin' I'd find a way out of there and back to you."

"Well someone must have heard your prayers because here you are, and you even got another son in the bargain."

"Yeah, but when this is all over Mulder's gonna pay for makin' me think otherwise."

The beautiful blonde gave him a knowing smile. "He wouldn't torment you so much if he didn't know he could get a reaction," she chided. "After everything we've been through together you should know better than to believe even for a second that I could love somebody else."

"I know that," Doggett allowed. "So where do we go from here? You say you love me and yet yesterday you could barely say my name without chokin' on it."

"I'm sorry I was harsh with you, but I was understandably a little overwhelmed by your return. I watched you die in that fire last year, John, and I was certain I would never see you again. Then thirteen months later you suddenly return from the dead, and my world takes another 180 degree turn. I just need some time to get my bearings back."

A pause. "You do know that I have to work with Mulder to figure out who did this," Doggett said softly.

"I know. And if Kersh allows you to return to the X files, I'm okay with that, too."

Surprise flickered across Doggett's rugged features. "Since when?" he asked. "Last night you were pretty adamant about me not returnin'."

"I admit I'm still not thrilled by the idea, but I know in my heart that it's what you want. And maybe you and Fox can make certain that the Syndicate never threatens our family again."

"We're damn sure gonna do our best."

They exchanged a smile just as the ring of the phone interrupted their conversation, and Doggett reluctantly rose to his feet before crossing over to the night stand to pick up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Agent Doggett," Skinner's voice greeted. "I apologize if I woke you."

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"Deputy Director Kersh wants to see you in his office as soon as possible," Skinner told him. "A.D. Potter saw you when you were here yesterday and was in Kersh's office at the crack of dawn telling him about it."

"Gettin' interrogated by Kersh isn't exactly how I'd planned to spend my first day home but I suppose there's no point in postponin' the inevitable," Doggett replied.

"I'm glad you're in such an agreeable mood," Skinner returned, "because he's requested that you bring Captain Doggett with you."

Doggett reflexively glanced at his wife as he responded, "What the hell does he want with Jess?"

"I don't know for sure, but if I were in his position, the first person I'd go to for verification of your identity is your wife."

"Right. We'll be there in about an hour."

Doggett hung up the phone and turned around to meet Jessica's inquiring gaze.

"Have you been summoned to meet with Kersh?" she asked.

"Yeah," Doggett confirmed, "and apparently the honor of your presence has been requested, too."

"Really…did he say please?" Jessica asked drolly.

Doggett permitted himself a small smile. _Somebody's been spending too much time with Mulder_, he mused. Aloud he said, "You can ask him when we get there."

**HOOVER BUILDING**

Arriving at FBI Headquarters, Jessica and Doggett made their way to Kersh's office, only to encounter Scully and Mulder in the hallway.

"You got summoned by Kersh, too?" Mulder prompted.

"Unfortunately," Doggett answered, "and accordin' to Skinner he requested that Jess come with me."

"What does he want with Jessica?" Scully queried.

Mulder gave his wife a knowing look. "If you wanted to find out for certain that John is John, who's the first person you'd go to?" he asked rhetorically.

"I retract my question," Scully responded dryly.

Skinner joined them then, materializing from Kersh's office and giving the foursome faint smile.

"Good morning everyone," he greeted. "Thank you all for coming."

"Did we have a choice?" Mulder asked drolly.

Scully and the Doggetts shot him admonishing glances but Skinner ignored him as he addressed Jessica. "Kersh has asked to speak with you first, Captain," he said. "Privately."

"Why privately?" Doggett prompted.

Jessica answered before Skinner could. "First rule of interrogation, Sunshine," she replied. "Separate the suspects and make sure their stories match."

"Or maybe he just wants to push my buttons," Doggett muttered.

"And you say I'm paranoid," Mulder said.

Jessica and Scully exchanged resigned looks at their husbands' banter before Jessica followed Skinner into Kersh's office. The Deputy Director was seated behind his desk, and flashed her a smile of greeting.

"Good morning, Captain Doggett," he said. "I appreciate you agreeing to meet with me."

"I assume that your desire to meet with me was prompted by John's return?"

"Yes," Kersh confirmed. "I've read the reports furnished to me by A.D. Skinner and Agent Mulder. By all accounts John's survival is nothing short of a miracle."

"One which you're not inclined to accept at face value," Jessica added.

"According to the DNA tests conducted by Agent Scully, he is indeed John Doggett. But while I may not be as familiar with the X files as A.D. Skinner, I've seen and heard enough over the years to know that there is a chance Agent Doggett is not who he appears to be."

"Really…and who or what is he if not John Doggett?"

"I believe the term Agent Mulder prefers is 'bio-engineered super soldier'," Kersh replied. "Or perhaps even the alleged alien bounty hunter who impersonated Agent Scully and Agent Mulder in Arizona seven years ago."

"You honestly believe that?"

"It's no greater a leap of faith than watching your husband be burned alive and then having him return thirteen months later with merely a few scars to show for his ordeal and accepting that it's him," Kersh answered.

"I'm curious, Deputy Director, do I strike you as a stupid woman? Or one who is especially naïve? Because you seem to be intimating that I would have to be one or both of those things to believe that John is John."

"Not at all, Captain, but I know how much you love your husband, and I know how loyal you are to Agent Mulder. It is possible that those two factors – combined with your own desire to have it be true – are overriding your common sense and allowing you to accept this man as Agent Doggett."

"Even if that were true, I fail to see why that would concern you."

"Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't dislike Agent Doggett, and truth be told I had a great deal of respect for him. That is why I find it troubling that those closest to him are willing to accept this man at his word."

"DNA doesn't lie, Mister Kersh. The tests proved conclusively that he is John Doggett."

"So Agent Scully says. But she is a medical doctor as well as a federal agent, so it would not be out of the realm of possibility for her to have…misrepresented…the test results. Or these mysterious doctors that he credits with saving his life could have mentally reprogrammed John to turn him against his family and friends."

Jessica exchanged an amused look with Skinner before replying, "A conspiracy theory worthy of even Fox."

"Or perhaps a truth you don't want to acknowledge."

The beautiful blonde released a sigh. "Odd as it may seem on some level I honestly believe that you are telling me these things because you're trying to protect me," she said. "But frankly I don't have the time or patience to humor you. Whatever my feelings are for my husband, my desire to protect my children is just as strong. If I had any doubt about the validity of John's identity I never would have allowed him within a hundred yards of Samuel and the twins. Neither would Fox, Dana or A.D. Skinner for that matter. Because while you may have a 'great deal of respect' for John, those of us who truly care about him know that he would have died a thousand times before allowing anyone to hurt us, or allowing them to force him to do so."

It was clear that Kersh was still not entirely convinced, but nonetheless he let it go as he rose to his feet. "I admire your loyalty to your husband, Captain Doggett," he replied. "John's a lucky man to have a wife who loves him as much as you do."

"I assure you it goes both ways."

Rising to her feet, Jessica exited the office and rejoined the others in the hallway.

"That was fast," Scully said.

"Not fast enough," Jessica responded.

"What did he say to you?" Doggett asked.

"Nothing worth repeating, but I think Fox's paranoia is catching."

Skinner rejoined them then, flashing Jessica an apologetic smile as he did so. "I'm sorry about that, Captain," he said. "I didn't expect him to be quite so blunt about his misgivings."

"Don't worry about it, Walter," Jessica deferred. "Kersh is Kersh; I'm used to him by now."

Skinner shifted his attention to the others. "Well I hope the rest of you are, too, because it's your turn."

Doggett glanced at his wife. "Are you goin' to head to your precinct?" he asked.

"Actually I'm going to stay here and wait for you," she answered. "Kersh can have his fifteen minutes but after that you're all mine."

Doggett responded with a small smile before following Skinner, Mulder and Scully into Kersh's office. Skinner remained standing near the door as the three agents settled themselves in chairs in front of Kersh's desk.

"John," Kersh greeted informally. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, sir."

"Care to tell me where you've been for the last thirteen months?" the older man prompted.

"I was in a private medical facility in France undergoin' treatment for the various injuries I sustained in the explosion last year," Doggett replied. "I don't know for certain how I got there, or who actually runs the clinic, but the doctors there saved my life."

"I'm curious as to how you managed to avoid being discovered there by the people who were responsible for the explosion," Kersh mused. "They obviously went to a great deal of trouble to destroy the warehouse in D.C. last year with you and Agent Reyes inside of it. One would think that they would have done whatever was necessary to ensure they were successful."

"We all thought they had been," Mulder interjected. "Jessica and I were eyewitnesses to what we believed was his death. Why would the people behind the explosion have any reason to doubt his own wife and brother-in-law?"

"Why indeed?" Kersh responded rhetorically, and glanced at Scully. "Dr. Scully, I understand you performed a DNA test to verify that Agent Doggett is who he claims to be."

"Yes, sir," Scully confirmed. "I had two of the technicians in the forensics lab verify my findings to eliminate any suspicions regarding their validity before I presented them to A.D. Skinner."

"So it is your contention that the man sitting next to you is indeed John Doggett."

"Yes, it is."

Kersh looked to Mulder. "Agent Mulder, how did you find out that Agent Doggett was alive and in the French clinic?" he asked.

"I was contacted by an anonymous individual who told me that John had somehow survived the explosion and been taken to Paris," Mulder clarified. "This person had enough information about the events of that day and John's injuries that I knew his story was at least partially legitimate. I went to France and when I arrived at the clinic, I discovered John was there."

"And you just took him at his word that he was John?"

"He provided me with sufficient personal information that convinced me he was telling the truth," Mulder allowed.

"What about these mysterious doctors that you credit with saving your life?' Kersh directed at Doggett. "Do any of them have names, or are they able to be contacted?"

"No, sir," Doggett said simply.

"Of course not," Kersh muttered. "Well, in light of the fact that everyone closest to you – including your lovely wife, who was rather passionate in her defense of you – believes that you are indeed John Doggett, I am forced to reach the same conclusion. Am I correct in assuming that you wish to resume your position here at the Bureau?"

"I would like to return to the X files, yes," Doggett confirmed.

"Very well. It will take a couple of days to get your security clearance reinstated and process the paperwork to reverse the report of your presumed death, but everything should be in order by the end of the week."

"Thank you, sir."

The agents rose to their feet and bidding Kersh farewell, exited his office.

"So what's the verdict?" Jessica prompted.

"I don't think the Deputy Director is entirely convinced I'm really me," Doggett answered, "but he is gonna let me return to work."

"How soon?"

"Accordin' to him all the paperwork to reinstate me should be completed in a couple days, which will give me a chance to spend some quality time with you and the kids."

"How are they handling your return?" Scully asked.

"Better than I did," Jessica interjected wryly.

"So what's on your agenda for the rest of the day?" Mulder asked.

Jessica glanced at Doggett. "Well I think the first order of business is to do some shopping and restore your wardrobe," she said.

"Might I suggest a 'Property of Jessica Doggett' T-shirt in a nice shade of blue to match his eyes?" Mulder queried lightly.

Scully and Jessica shook their heads as Doggett shot Mulder an 'I am not amused' glare.


	9. Chapter 9

**PARIS, FRANCE**

In his office, Laurent was reviewing the results from a recent experiment when the telephone rang. He glowered at the intrusion, but knowing the only people who knew his telephone were the same people who knew of the clinic, he reluctantly crossed over to his desk.

"This is Laurent," he greeted curtly.

"Bon jour, Doctor," a raspy voice greeted. "I'm glad you are still there."

"Monsieur Spender," Laurent said. "I am pleased to hear from you. I was worried that perhaps your father's comrades had retaliated for your part in Agent Doggett's return home and killed you."

"I'm sure that it would probably give them great pleasure to do so," Spender replied, "But they'll have to find me first. And I have become very adept at being invisible."

"So to what do I owe this phone call? After you delivered our message to Agent Mulder, I did not expect to hear from you again."

"I am calling to warn you that the Baron intends to destroy your clinic the same way he destroyed the one in Washington. He's worried that Agent Doggett's revelation of its existence will bring unwanted attention to your work."

Laurent sighed. "Somehow I am not surprised," he said. "No doubt he has all ready ensured that the records of my research are safely stored elsewhere so that it can continue. I am curious, however, as to how you came by this information."

"Let's just say that not all of Stuckhold's people are as loyal as he thinks they are and do not approve of what has been done to me and my siblings," Spender evaded.

"Speaking of your siblings, I presume that you chose not to tell Agent Mulder that he and the lovely Captain Doggett are in fact the offspring of your father and Teena Mulder?"

"The revelation would serve no purpose, and as it obviously has not prevented the Syndicate from continuing to target them and their families, I see no reason to reopen old wounds."

"I understand. I thank you for the warning about the Baron's intentions, Monsieur Spender. I hope our paths will cross again someday and perhaps I can undo some of the damage that was done to you."

"I hope so, too, Doctor."

**FALLS CHURCH**

Some time later, Jessica and Doggett were home, their shopping complete after purchasing half a dozen suits and accessories along with just as many casual outfits. Never fond of being fawned over, Doggett had been less than thrilled at having to be poked and prodded in order to get the suits fitted. But after much cajoling from his wife, he had reluctantly allowed the tailors to do their work. The couple was now in their bedroom, with Doggett sprawled on the bed as his wife changed into more comfortable clothes. As she slid on a pair of jeans and her well-worn "Property of John Doggett" T-shirt, Doggett caught a glimpse of the evidence of her ordeal following Samuel's birth.

"That's new," Doggett remarked, and at Jessica's puzzled look, gestured at her stomach. "That scar wasn't there a year ago."

Jessica flashed him a small smile. "You're very observant."

"Just admirin' the view," Doggett responded. "What happened?"

Her smile faded. "I was nearing my eighth month with Samuel when I began having abdominal pains that became increasingly stronger over the course of a couple weeks. Eventually I suffered a complete abruption of the placenta from the uterine wall and was hemorrhaging internally."

He shot her a concerned glance. "That's what happened when you had the second miscarriage all those years ago and almost died," he recalled.

"I would have died this time if I had been alone," Jessica told him. "Thankfully the Gunmen were here visiting and were able to get me to the hospital very quickly. The doctors were forced to deliver Sam by Cesarean, and in order to stop the bleeding they did an emergency hysterectomy. The timeliness of my hospitalization and Fox's availability as a blood donor saved my life."

A flash of anger at himself surged through Doggett, and briefly flickered across his face. Recognizing it in his expression, Jessica gave him another smile. "Don't start blaming yourself for not being here, John," she chided gently. "You wouldn't have been able to do anything to prevent it."

"Maybe not, but I should have been here to be by your side when it happened."

Her smile widened, and closing the distance between them, she lifted a hand to lightly trace one of his surgical scars. "Obviously you were busy getting a few souvenirs of your own."

Doggett froze under her touch, the casual contact causing a spark of awareness to flare between them, and their eyes met as the air suddenly crackled with sexual tension. Keeping his gaze locked to Jessica's, Doggett slowly pulled her head down to kiss her, but just before their lips met the ring of the doorbell broke the mood.

"Son of a bitch…" Doggett growled under his breath

"Saved by the bell," Jessica muttered, and quickly headed downstairs, shadowed by Doggett. Stepping over a slumbering Spooky sprawled by the front door, Jessica walked over to open it. The Gunmen stood on the porch, and smiled at Jessica in greeting before spotting the large dog asleep directly behind her and the men gave him a wary glance.

"I don't suppose you could put him in another room until after we leave?" Langley asked.

"I hope you're referrin' to the dog, Langley," Doggett responded dryly.

The Gunmen froze at the sound of his voice, as Mulder had not yet had an opportunity to tell them of Doggett's return.

"There's no way I just heard who I think I just heard," Byers replied.

Jessica smiled. "You mean to tell me that after all these years of associating with Fox you don't believe in ghosts?" she asked.

Swinging the door all the way open, she stepped aside to give the Gunmen a full view of the living room, and their eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of Doggett. Careful to avoid Spooky, they stepped inside the house and walked over to stand a couple of feet away from Doggett.

"Agent Doggett…" Langley said. "You're alive."

"Obviously."

Frohike shook his head. "First Mulder and now you," he muttered. "Doesn't anybody in this family stay dead?"

"It's nice to see you too, Melvin."

Byers took a step toward him and extended his hand. "Welcome back, Agent Doggett," he declared. "I'm glad you're still with us."

Doggett took Byers' hand in his. "Thanks, John."

Langley glanced at Jessica. "Well, Captain, it looks like Santa Claus brought your gift early this year."

"Actually it was more Fox's doing," Jessica replied, "but I'm still pleased with the end result."

"So where the hell have you been for the last thirteen months?" Frohike asked.

Doggett exchanged a look with Jessica before answering. "I was in a private medical facility in France," he revealed. "The doctors there were able to save my life with their use of advanced medical technology, but it took a year to repair all the damage and restore my face and hands."

"Advanced medical technology," Langley echoed. "Sounds a lot like the 'alien technology' stuff that Burlinski guy was rambling about when he set you up last year."

"I don't know if it was alien or not, but it gave me back my life, and that's good enough for me."

"I trust that your beautiful wife has introduced you to the newest member of your eclectic little family?" Frohike prompted.

"If you're referring to Samuel, then yes."

"Fox initially led him to believe that Sam was my new live-in lover," Jessica told them.

Byers glanced at Doggett. "And you bought that?" he asked rhetorically. "They must have scrambled your brains if you honestly believed Captain Doggett could have moved on."

"Or maybe the lack of constant exposure weakened his resistance to Mulder's warped sense of humor," Frohike countered.

"There is that," Langley allowed.

"As long as we're on the subject of my son," Doggett interjected, "Jess told me that your bein' here saved her life and Sam's when she started havin' the miscarriage. That's a debt I can never repay, but thank you."

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the twins, who had come downstairs in search of their parents. Discovering the Gunmen, they promptly ran over to give them exuberant hugs.

"Are we still going to the zoo today, Uncle Melvin?" Grace asked of Frohike.

"You're not going anywhere unless you get yourself back upstairs and put your clothes on," Jessica told her. "Is Samuel awake?"

"Yep," Matthew confirmed. "He's lying in his crib watching Georgia eat his stuffed animals."

Doggett gave his son a knowing glance. "I was under the impression that a certain young man was supposed to have put those in the toy chest before he went to sleep last night," he said. "So if Georgia gets sick from eatin' the stuffed animals, you're cleanin' it up."

"Aw, Dad," Matthew protested.

"Don't waste time fussin' about it when you only have yourself to blame. Now go upstairs and get the toys away from Georgia, then get dressed so you and your sister can head to the zoo."

"Okay."

Grace and Matthew retreated back upstairs just as the phone rang, and Jessica glanced at Doggett. "You can take care of feeding Sam, and I'll get the telephone."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The captain shook her head and Doggett headed up the stairs as Jessica walked into the kitchen to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Jessica," Elizabeth's voice greeted. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all," Jessica responded.

"I tried to reach you at the precinct, but I was told that you had taken a couple of days off to deal with some personal business, so I decided to try and catch you at home."

"What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you would agree to meet with me," Elizabeth said. "There are some things I need to discuss with you, and the sooner the better."

Jessica stifled her automatic refusal, knowing that it must be something of some import for her mother to have contacted her for the first time in five years. "When and where?"

"If you can manage it, I was hoping we could meet at my office, perhaps in about an hour?"

"I'll see you then."

Replacing the phone in its cradle, Jessica stared at it in silence for a minute before turning to face the Gunmen. "Well that was interesting," she remarked.

Doggett returned then, shadowed by Georgia and cradling Samuel in his arms as the infant happily chugged away at his milk bottle. "Who was on the phone?" he asked.

"Believe it or not that was Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth called you at home?" Doggett prompted.

His wife nodded. "Apparently she has some things she 'needs to discuss' with me, and the sooner the better."

"Quite a coincidence that she wants to set up a meetin' barely a day after I get home," Doggett mused.

"Maybe, but she wants me to come to her office, so she's not setting me up for Stuckhold."

"I still don't like it," Doggett returned.

"Try not to worry, Sunshine," Jessica replied. "I have a large gun and I know how to use it."

"Very funny, Jess."

"If you're really that worried, just come with me."

"That sounds like a very good idea."

"I'm going to change clothes," she said, and glanced at the Gunmen. "Gentlemen, have fun at the zoo, and if you feed my children more than two hot dogs each I'll feed you to Spooky and Semper Fi."

On that note, the captain disappeared up the staircase, and Doggett waited until she was out of earshot before addressing the Gunmen.

"I don't know about you boys, but personally I don't think Elizabeth wants to see Jess just to give her the inside track on the inauguration," he said dryly.

"What do you think she wants with Captain Doggett?" Langley asked.

"I don't know, but I sure as hell intend to find out."


	10. Chapter 10

**SENATE BUILDING**

Almost exactly an hour later, Jessica and Doggett arrived at the Senate Building after dropping Samuel off at Sarah Caldwell's house, where their niece Kim had agreed to baby-sit him for the afternoon. Uncertain whether or not Elizabeth knew of John's return and would be expecting him to be with Jessica, the couple had decided to err on the side of caution and had managed to find one of Doggett's old FBI ID badges to bring with them. It took a few minutes to complete the security clearance, and then one of the guards escorted them to Elizabeth's office.

"Excuse me, Senator, but your daughter and son-in-law are here," he told her.

"Thank you, James," Elizabeth responded, and waited until the agent left the room before addressing the Doggetts. "Jessica, John, thank you for coming."

"Why am I not surprised that you're not surprised to see me?" Doggett asked rhetorically.

"Who do you think arranged for you to be rescued from the warehouse and taken to France last year?" Elizabeth returned.

"How kind of you to tell me that my husband was still alive," Jessica said tightly.

"And what would you have done if I had, Jessica?" Elizabeth countered. "Gone to France to find him and leave your children home alone? I don't think so."

"How convenient that you have an answer for everything," Jessica responded. "So what was so important that you asked me to come see you?"

"Part of what I intended to tell you was that John is alive," Elizabeth said, "but obviously that's something you all ready know."

"Why the change of heart?" Doggett interjected. "Thirteen months ago you were perfectly content to let Jess believe I'd burned to death in the fire."

'Thirteen months ago I wasn't entirely sure you were going to survive," Elizabeth returned. "But once I knew you were going to make a complete recovery, it was imperative for me to tell Jessica you were alive. My colleagues were less than pleased by your rescue and I wasn't sure what they had planned for you now that you were again a threat to them."

"Well it seems to me that by tellin' Jess I'm alive you'd be makin' her a target."

Elizabeth flashed him a small smile. "I'm not quite as 'in the loop' as I used to be, but I am fairly certain that my colleagues no longer intend to go after Jessica. After the fiasco in Mexico four years ago they know better now."

"What did you hope to accomplish by revealing to me that John isn't dead?" Jessica prompted.

"Perhaps a small measure of redemption for allowing him to be taken from you in the first place," Elizabeth responded.

"You said that tellin' Jess I'm alive was only part of the reason you asked her to come here," Doggett said. "What's the other part?"

"Frankly I was hoping to persuade her to convince you and Agent Mulder not to pursue the investigation into the warehouse explosion."

"You can't be serious," Jessica protested.

"My colleagues quite obviously would prefer to see John dead, and at this point they're willing to bury you beside him if they think it will deter Mulder from interfering with their business."

"That sounded suspiciously like a threat, Senator," Doggett responded evenly.

"It wasn't a threat, John, it was a warning. I no longer have the power to protect you or Jessica if you and Mulder continue to pursue this. "

Jessica glanced at her husband but said nothing, unwilling to concede Elizabeth's argument aloud. Doggett, however, knew that his mother-in-law was right and reluctantly admitted it.

"Keepin' Jess from gettin' hurt in any way is my priority also," he allowed. "Considerin' that I'm only standin' here now because you care about her too, I'm gonna leave you out the investigation. But my friend and partner did die in that explosion, Senator, and one way or another somebody's gonna answer for that."

Without giving Elizabeth a chance to respond, Doggett gently but firmly placed his hand in the small of his wife's back and led her from the room.

**RABAT, MOROCCO**

Stuckhold was in his study finishing a meeting with another member of the Syndicate when his majordomo entered the room.

"I apologize for the interruption, my lord, but you have a long distance telephone call," he announced.

"Thank you, Rolf. I'll take it in here."

As Rolf left the room, Stuckhold excused himself from his associate and walked over to his desk to pick up the phone. "Stuckhold."

"It's me," an American voice declared. "Senator Caldwell received a visit this morning from her daughter and Agent Doggett."

"Surely they haven't uncovered her part in Agent Doggett's survival," Stuckhold replied.

"I don't know whether Elizabeth confessed to it or they figured it on their own, but they know. What they intend to do about it remains to be seen."

"There isn't much they can do about it. Technically speaking Elizabeth did nothing illegal; she wasn't responsible for the explosion. Most likely Agent Doggett is grasping at straws in an attempt to find someone he can hold accountable for the death of his partner and the attempt on his life."

"His position at the FBI will be reinstated by the end of the week. No doubt he and Agent Mulder intend to continue their quest for justice."

"Let them spin their wheels," Stuckhold responded. "Our tracks are well covered and they will not find any evidence to lead them to us."

"What about the clinic in Paris?"

"It has been disposed of," Stuckhold answered. "Unfortunately Doctor Laurent and some members of his staff have disappeared. Obviously they were forewarned about my intentions for the clinic."

"If that's true than we have a mole in the Syndicate."

"An issue that I intend to rectify as soon as possible. In the meantime I think that Elizabeth Caldwell's liability now outweighs her usefulness. I cannot risk her having another attack of conscience and revealing more information to Captain and Agent Doggett."

"I agree but given her position you can't take care of her as easily."

"Don't be so sure."

**FALLS CHURCH**

Following the meeting with Elizabeth, the Doggetts had made the car ride home in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Although the revelation that Elizabeth had known his real fate thirteen months ago had not surprised him, Doggett was fairly certain that Jessica was not as accepting of it as she had led her mother to believe. After allowing her to brood in silence during the trip home, once they entered their house Doggett addressed his wife.

"So do you wanna tell me what's goin' through that beautiful head of yours, or would you like me to guess?" he asked drolly.

Jessica afforded him a sideways glance as she tossed her coat and purse onto the couch. "I'm just wondering why anything Elizabeth does surprises me anymore," she answered. "Her excuse for all of her duplicity and half-truths is always that she was 'trying to protect me'. Maybe I bought that while I was a child, but as a forty-four year old wife and mother it just doesn't wash."

"As much as I hate to side with her, she did have a point about not tellin' you I was alive," Doggett responded. "You and I both know that nothin' on Earth would have prevented you from trackin' me down and that would have left the kids without both parents."

"Where there's a will, there's a way. Had I known you were alive I would have found a way to get to you without leaving our children unprotected."

"It's water under the bridge now, Jess. Let it go."

"I could say the same thing to you about your investigation into the explosion," she countered. "Do you really think that you and Fox are going to find any evidence to prove who blew up the warehouse? Whatever else these people are, Sunshine, they aren't stupid and they aren't careless. Their tracks are well-covered."

"I can't let Monica's death go unanswered," Doggett protested. "She was a good friend and a good agent, and there was no reason she had to die that day. I won't walk away from this."

"I'm not asking you to," Jessica returned. "But these people have proven themselves capable of murder several times over. If you and Fox can't let this go – or at the very least find a way to pursue it without continuing to step on their toes - than one or both of you will die. I've lived through your death once, John; I couldn't survive it a second time. And I don't want to bury another brother."

Doggett released a small sigh. "I don't know what you want me to say, Jess. I can't lie to you and say that nothin's gonna happen to me or to Mulder. But I will promise that we'll do what we can to avoid pissin' these people off any more than we have to. And we'll do our damnedest not to make ourselves targets."

The lopsided declaration earned him a smile from Jessica. "I'll take what I can get," she said. "We've got a few hours before Kim and the Gunmen respectively return our children, so I am going to catch up on some of the sleep I missed last night."

"Need me to tuck you in?"

"A tempting offer, but as I actually intend to sleep I'll have to pass."

"Can't blame a guy for tryin'," Doggett responded. "You enjoy your nap. I'm gonna fix myself a sandwich and see how much catchin' up I can do on the files Mulder left me."

"Good luck."

Jessica headed up the stairs as Doggett wandered into the kitchen, quickly making his sandwich and retrieving a beer from the refrigerator before returning to the living room. Georgia cast a longing glance at his sandwich from her position in the doggie bed next to the couch, but a look from Doggett caused her to resume her nap. Settling on the couch, he began skimming through the files on the coffee table as he consumed his lunch. Nearly twenty minutes later, he set aside the paper he was reading and grabbed his plate and empty beer bottle before walking back into the kitchen. Tossing the bottle into the trash, he rinsed the plate and set it in the dishwasher just as Jessica wandered into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of dark purple silk mock men's pajamas.

"Hey, sweetheart. Trouble sleepin'?"

"Actually I was just about to drift off when I realized there was something I forgot to do," Jessica replied.

Before Doggett could ask her what she was referring to, Jessica closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his neck to pull him into a passionate kiss. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Doggett responded fully to the unexpected embrace, and a few minutes later Jessica pulled back to flash him a warm smile.

"I love you," she said. "I realized as I was falling asleep that I haven't actually told you that since you've been home."

"I figured you'd get around to it eventually," Doggett quipped.

She ignored the jibe. "I know I've been a little distant since your return, but I need you to know that I am happy and grateful to have you back. When I lost you last year, it was like a part of me died with you. But now that you're home my heart and my soul are whole again."

"The feelin' is entirely mutual," Doggett responded, and gave her a gentle kiss.

"And just to make it official…"

Reaching into the pocket of her pajama top, Jessica withdrew a platinum wedding band and slid it onto the fourth finger of Doggett's left hand before returning her gaze to his.

"If your paperwork can wait, I'd like to reverse my earlier refusal and accept your offer to tuck me in."

Doggett smiled. "The paperwork can definitely wait."

**SENATE BUILDING**

In her office, Elizabeth was finalizing her notes for a Senate meeting the following morning when her private line rang. Frowning at the interruption, she reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Elizabeth Caldwell."

"Good afternoon, Senator," an unfamiliar voice greeted. "I trust your little reunion with your daughter and son-in-law this morning went well."

"Who is this?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Who I am is not important. I have a message for you from Baron Stuckhold. He's asked me to tell you that by saving Agent Doggett's life you may have won the battle, but the Syndicate will win the war. And every war has its casualties."

On that ominous note, the mystery caller severed the connection, and Elizabeth felt her stomach begin to knot over the warning.

"They're going to kill Jessica after all," she said aloud to herself.

She immediately picked up the phone and dialed the Doggett house, but the answering service came on after only a couple of rings so she hung up and tried calling both Jessica and John on their cell phones, to no avail. Muttering in frustration under her breath, Elizabeth got to her feet and retrieved her purse from one of her desk drawers before heading out of her office.

"Sydney, I have some urgent personal business I have to attend to," she told her assistant. "I need you to contact Fox Mulder at FBI Headquarters and put him through to my car phone when you get him on the line. Tell him it's an emergency regarding Jessica."

"Yes, Ma'am," Sydney responded.

The Senator quickly strode out of the office and made her way to the parking garage. After unlocking her car, Elizabeth tossed her purse onto the passenger seat and started the car. Not even the few seconds needed to shift into reverse had transpired before the car exploded and instantly became engulfed in flames.


	11. Chapter 11

**HOOVER BUILDING**

Inside his office, Mulder was completing some notes for one of his current cases when the phone rang. After making a final notation, he reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Fox Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, this is James Francis, Director of Security for the Senate Building."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Francis?"

"I'm hoping you can get in touch with your sister, Captain Jessica Doggett," Francis answered. "There's been an incident involving Senator Caldwell and it's imperative that we reach Captain Doggett as soon as possible."

"What kind of 'incident' are we talking about?" Mulder queried.

"Senator Caldwell is dead," Francis responded. "According to her personal assistant she left the office suddenly to deal with what she referred to as 'personal business' and had asked Ms. LeShay to contact you regarding some type of threat to your sister's safety. However when the Senator started her car, it seems to have triggered an explosion and she was killed instantly."

Mulder permitted himself a faint sigh. _Whatever my issues were with Elizabeth, I wouldn't have wished this even on her_, he thought wearily. To Francis he said, "I'll contact Jessica and tell her what's happened. Afterwards I'm going to join your people at the Senate Building and do what I can to assist the investigation into Senator Caldwell's death."

"I'll make sure you're expected, Agent Mulder. Thank you."

Mulder ended the call and quickly dialed Scully's cell phone as he grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office.

"Dana Scully," she answered on the second ring.

"Scully, it's me. I need you to meet me at John and Jessica's as soon as possible."

"What's going on?"

"Elizabeth Caldwell's been murdered and I think my sister may be the next target."

**FALLS CHURCH**

Doggett lay as still as possible, not wanting to awaken his wife sleeping soundly beside him. Between their turbulent lovemaking and the emotional roller coaster of the last twenty-four hours, Jessica was exhausted and Doggett wanted her to rest. He could feel the faint brush of her breath tickling his chest while she breathed, and the innocuous sensation brought a smile to his face.

_I love you,_ he declared silently, not realizing until that moment just how much he had missed her. For a brief moment he felt a wave of complete peace wash over him, and he pressed a kiss to the top of Jessica's head. She stirred at the contact, obviously not as deeply asleep as he had assumed, and a moment later her dark blue eyes fluttered open as she flashed him a sleepy smile.

"Hi."

"Hi, yourself. Did I wake you?"

"Not really. You know me; I've never been much of a napper."

"Maybe you'd sleep better if I went back downstairs for a little while," Doggett offered.

Jessica shook her head. "I think a small part of me is still worried that if I do sleep, you'll be gone again when I wake up," she said. "Intellectually I know that's not going to happen, but emotionally I'm still a little raw."

"Well then I guess you'll have to spend every wakin' minute with me until you get used to havin' me back," Doggett responded lightly.

"That sounds like a grand plan," Jessica replied, and they exchanged a brief kiss before she shifted her gaze to his surgical scars. She lifted one hand to gently trace the one under his jaw as she asked evenly, "Were you in a lot of pain?"

"Off and on. The doctors kept me pretty well medicated most of the time, but there were some days that I wanted 'em to let me die rather than deal with the agony another minute. It wasn't the burns themselves that hurt so bad, but once they started doin' the skin grafts they had to wrap me in bandages soaked with this nasty lookin' gel to keep the tissue hydrated and prevent infection. Every time they put those on it was like somebody was pourin' acid on my back."

"I can't imagine how horrible that must have been for you."

"I hadn't been in that much pain since I got my side split open in Libya all those years ago and had to leave the Corps," Doggett allowed. "But whatever they did worked, cuz here I am with no scars on my back and the ones on my face will fade in a couple weeks or so."

"It's a shame that the doctors chose to use their abilities for people like Stuckhold and the Syndicate instead of trying to incorporate it into mainstream medicine. I can't begin to guess how many lives could be saved or improved with that kind of medical technology."

"If Mulder and I can uncover these guys once and for all, than maybe we can do somethin' to get the technology to the general public."

The couple's conversation was interrupted by the ring of the doorbell, which elicited a cacophony of barking from the dogs, and John and Jessica reluctantly slid out of bed.

"Whatever happened to trainin' them not to sound off whenever we get company?" Doggett asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a Syracuse T-shirt

Donning her pajamas, Jessica gave him a sheepish smile. "I planned to, but after I thought you'd died last year, I kind of liked having them be overprotective. I convinced myself that it was you somehow channeling your spirit through them to watch over me and the kids. It sounds a little crazy, but it made me feel better."

The captain's casual remark made Doggett's heart ache, and he wordlessly pulled her into his arms for a quick hug. "Then they can bark 24/7 all year long," he declared.

The twosome left their bedroom and made their way downstairs to the living room, where Doggett restrained Spooky and Semper Fi, while Jessica ordered Georgia to stay put as she opened the door.

"Fox…Dana…come on in."

Mulder and Scully walked into the house, and Jessica shut the door behind them as Mulder took in his sister and brother-in-law's attire and flashed Jessica a faint smile.

"I'm sorry if we're interrupting," he began apologetically. "I'm assuming you haven't had the TV or radio on within the last twenty minutes or so?"

Jessica shook her head and Doggett asked, "What's goin' on?"

Scully and Mulder exchanged a look before the former said, "I wish there were an easier way to tell you this, but unfortunately it won't hurt any less no matter how I say it. Elizabeth has apparently been assassinated."

Jessica blanched. "What?"

"I got a call from the Security Director over at the Senate Building who said that her car exploded with Elizabeth inside of it," Mulder clarified. "According to the information he got from Elizabeth's assistant Sydney, she was on her way to see you. Apparently she'd asked Sydney to call me and warn me about some threat to you, but I never got the call."

"Any idea who or what the alleged threat was?" Doggett queried.

Mulder shook his head. "The Security Director didn't know and I haven't talked with Sydney yet."

"I'll bet my last dollar that the Syndicate is responsible," Jessica surmised aloud. "Obviously Elizabeth was either not supposed to know about the threat or not supposed to tell me about it and they killed her."

"Why now?" Scully asked of no one in particular. "Assuming that this is Stuckhold's doing, why did he suddenly decide that Elizabeth needed to be eliminated? She's been in league with the Syndicate from the beginning, and had all ready thwarted their plans by sending the mercenaries to get you out of Mexico and having John rescued from the warehouse explosion last year."

"Don't try to apply logic to anything the Syndicate does, Scully, or you'll give yourself a migraine," Mulder replied drolly.

Doggett placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

"No, not really," Jessica responded. "I need to get dressed and go over to the Senate Building."

"Absolutely not," Doggett countered emphatically. "Until we find out who or what Elizabeth was tryin' to warn you about, you're not goin' into D.C. Between the warehouse explosion last year and now Elizabeth's murder, it's obviously ground zero for the Syndicate's league of assassins."

"These bastards killed my mother, John, and almost killed you. I'm not going to hide at home while they use the people I love for target practice."

Jessica," Scully interjected, and walked over to stand in front of her friend. "John's right. Right now you need to keep a low profile while he and Mulder figure out who did this. If Elizabeth was killed trying to protect you, than you owe it to her to be as safe as possible until her killers are brought to justice."

Jessica stole a glance at John before responding. "In an effort to pacify all of you and honor my mother's sacrifice, I'll stay here and out of the way," she relented. "But you are all delusional if you think we'll ever find out for certain who did this."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and retreated back upstairs. Doggett watched her go before addressing the others.

"I don't know if she's hurt so much as she's pissed," he remarked. "I'll talk to her while I'm gettin' dressed, but if I know Jess she's not goin' to sit on the sidelines very long. Sooner or later she's gonna want to be part of the investigation."

"If you want to keep her alive you'd better find a way to prevent that," Mulder returned. "If Stuckhold is responsible for taking Elizabeth out, than the target on my sister's back just got a whole lot bigger."

Doggett met his brother-in-law's gaze, and something Mulder saw in the other man's eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

"If Stuckhold and the slime bags who work for him ever get within a hundred yards of my family again, I'll make certain what's left of them gets matchin' body bags at the morgue," he declared coolly.

On that ominous note, Doggett left Mulder and Scully in his living room and headed upstairs to join Jessica.


	12. Chapter 12

Some time later, the Doggett children had returned home and were in the backyard playing with the dogs under the watchful eyes of the Gunmen, while Scully and Jessica mulled over the possible reasons for Elizabeth's murder.

"I think we have to assume that Stuckhold and the Syndicate had my mother killed as belated retaliation for interfering with his attempt to kill John last year and her intent to reveal to me that he's alive," Jessica said. "If they wanted to kill me, they could have all ready done so."

"Not necessarily," Scully countered. "Eliminating Elizabeth may just have been their way of removing someone who had become a liability to their plans, because she was no longer willing to let them target you and/or John. With Elizabeth dead, there's no one to warn you about whatever they intend to do."

"It also eliminated their most politically prominent associate," Jessica responded. "And we both know that whatever they may or may not be planning for me and my family, it's only a small piece of a much larger puzzle."

"Well for all of our sakes I hope John and Mulder can find a way to put all the pieces together before the Syndicate does," Scully replied.

The ring of the doorbell interrupted the women's conversation, and they exchanged a curious look.

"Are you expecting anybody?" Scully asked.

"No," Jessica answered "But I don't think Stuckhold's people have the audacity to show up on my doorstep in broad daylight."

"Better safe than sorry," Scully returned, and withdrew her gun as Jessica approached the door. Opening it, she discovered an unfamiliar and obviously burn scarred man standing on the porch.

"May I help you?" she inquired.

"Captain Doggett," he greeted hoarsely, and handed her a small package. "Please give this to your husband and Agent Mulder. It will help them uncover the truth about who was responsible for the attempt on Agent Doggett's life thirteen months ago."

Jessica eyed him skeptically. "Really…I don't suppose you'd care to tell me who you are and how you got this?"

"My name is Daniel Miller," the man told her. "As for how I got the tape, all that matters is that Agent Mulder and Agent Doggett review them as soon as possible."

Scully chose that moment to make her presence known. "I know you," she said. "Or rather I know of you. Mulder said that a man calling himself Daniel Miller was the one who gave him the information about how to find Agent Doggett in Paris. He also said that your real name is Jeffrey Spender."

Miller gave her a small smile. "Jeffrey Spender is dead, Doctor Scully." he said softly. "Killed by his father several years ago. I'm just another victim of the Syndicate's quest for power and control."

"I'm not interested in being a pawn in your plan for revenge, Mr. Miller," Jessica interjected.

"I don't want revenge, Captain; I want justice. For everyone whose life has been taken or altered by what the Syndicate and those who serve it started all those years ago."

Jessica glanced at Scully, who gave her a curt nod, and the captain returned her attention to Miller. "Well if Fox and Dana can trust you, I can too," she replied. "Thank you."

"Be careful, Captain."

After shooting Scully a faint smile of farewell, Miller turned and made his way to a nondescript car parked about a quarter of a block away. Climbing inside, he started the engine and a moment later drove away. The women watched the car until it disappeared from view before retreating back into the house.

"As curious as I am to see what's on the tape, I think we should get it to Fox and John ASAP," Jessica said.

"I agree. There's always a chance that "Daniel' is being followed and if what's on the tape can incriminate anyone in the Syndicate, it makes you that much more of a target."

"Well the sooner I get rid of the bulls-eye that seems to be painted on my back and the backs of everyone I care about, the better. I'll tell the Gunmen that we're leaving and I'll meet you at your car."

Scully nodded in acknowledgement, and gathered her purse as she headed for the car while Jessica headed out to the backyard to talk to the Gunmen.

**FBI HEADQUARTERS**

After scouring the scene of Elizabeth's murder at the Capitol Building, Mulder and Doggett had returned to the Hoover Building to review what they knew and attempt to determine who had killed her and why.

"Murder by explosion seems to be a popular pastime in our nation's capital lately," Mulder said dryly.

"It's gotta be Stuckhold's doin'," Doggett said. "Him and his damn Syndicate probably took her out as payback for her part in keepin' me alive."

"That's certainly possible," Mulder allowed, "but we won't have any easier of a time proving it than we've had trying to link them to the warehouse explosion last year. Unfortunately these people are as careful as they are dangerous and their tracks are very well covered."

"Well nobody's perfect. Sooner or later one of 'em is gonna slip up and we'll be there to take care of 'em once and for all."

"Good afternoon, Gentlemen," a female voice greeted.

The partners looked up to see erstwhile X files agent Leyla Harrison standing in the doorway, holding a federal express envelope.

"Hey, Leyla," Doggett greeted. "What are you doin' here?"

"I was going to ask you the exact same thing," Leyla responded. "You don't look like a dead man."

"Seen a lot of dead people up in accounting, have you, Agent Harrison?" Mulder asked drolly.

"Shut up, Mulder," Doggett said.

Leyla smiled as she walked over to hand Doggett the envelope. "It's okay, Agent Doggett," she assured him. "Dr. Scully told me a long time ago not to listen to anything Agent Mulder says."

Doggett glanced at his brother-in-law. "Yet another reason to like your wife," he said wryly.

"I was on my way down here to welcome you back and the delivery man was running late so he asked me to give this to you."

"Thanks."

"I don't suppose you can tell me why you're not dead?" Leyla prompted.

"It's kind of a long story," Doggett evaded.

"I figured you'd say something like that. But in any event, I'm glad you're back amongst the fold as it were. With all due respect to Agent Mulder, this place just wasn't the same without you."

"I appreciate that Leyla."

"I'm sure sorry about Agent Reyes. She was a nice woman."

"Yes, she was," Doggett agreed.

"Well I'd better let you get back to work. Say hello to Captain Doggett and Doctor Scully."

"Will do," Mulder promised.

Leyla exited the office and Doggett glanced at the package he held. "This is from Laurent."

"The doctor in charge of the Paris clinic?"

"Yeah. This must be the list he promised me of the names of the people who knew about the clinic."

Tearing open the seal, Doggett reached into the envelope and withdrew a single piece of paper, attached to which was the picture of him Laurent had taken upon his arrival at the clinic.

"Good God…" Mulder muttered, and reached over to pluck the picture from the paper. "Is this you?"

Doggett nodded. "Laurent took that picture the day I was brought to the clinic, and showed it to me the day he removed the last of the bandages."

Mulder studied the picture for a moment, then glanced at Doggett, and then back at the picture. "Wow," he said simply. "I think it might be a good idea if we didn't let Jessica see this."

"No kiddin'," Doggett concurred, and shifted his attention to the paper. Laurent had not signed it or even written any note. It simply bore the names of the ten people who allegedly knew of the clinic's existence. Six of the ten names were unfamiliar, but the last four both men instantly recognized, including one of an all too familiar nemesis.

"I don't believe this…that son of a bitch has been in on this from the start!" Doggett exclaimed.

"Unfortunately there's nothing but his name on this list to prove it," Mulder countered.

"Well there's only so many reasons why Laurent would know who he is and why the hell his name would be on a list that includes Elizabeth, Stuckhold and Carl Spender."

"What list?" Jessica's voice interjected.

The men again glanced to the doorway and discovered their wives standing just inside the office, with Jessica holding the package given to her by Miller. Mulder discretely slipped the picture of Doggett into his pocket as the women walked into the room.

"Laurent sent me a list of the names of the people who knew about the Paris clinic," Doggett answered, and handed it to Scully. She swiftly scanned it before shooting her former partners a surprised glance.

"Kersh knew about the clinic?" she prompted.

"It looks that way," Doggett allowed. "But like Mulder said, we'll have a hell of a time provin' it."

"I though you agreed to stay out of the line of fire until we determine who murdered Elizabeth," Mulder directed at his sister.

"I did," Jessica allowed, "but I had an unexpected visitor at the house. Daniel Miller came to see me."

"You mean Jeffrey Spender?" Mulder returned. "What did he want?"

"He gave me this," Jessica said, and handed him the package. "He asked me to give it to you and John ASAP and said it would help prove who blew up the clinic thirteen months ago."

"What is it?" Doggett asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," Scully responded.

Mulder opened the envelope and withdrew a videotape. Setting the envelope on his desk, he walked over to the small monitor next to the filing cabinet and turned it on as he placed the tape into the VCR. It took a moment for the tape to start, and when it did the picture was slightly jerky, as if the person filming was in motion. The scene was of some type of conference room, with a group of men seated at a large circular table, and at the head of the table was Frans Stuckhold.

"Well this obviously resolves the question of the good Baron's resurrection," Mulder remarked.

"I don't recognize any of those other guys," Doggett said.

The men on the video were in the midst of a heated discussion, and from off camera one of them directed a protest at Stuckhold.

"I still think taking them all out at once is a bad idea," an American voice said.

"It will be less difficult than eliminating them one at a time," the man seated next to Stuckhold replied, his accent identifying him as South African. "And the sooner we get them out of the way, the sooner we can proceed with our plans for the expansion of the clinics."

"After the loss of the facility in Mexico during the rescue of Captain Doggett we have been operating with limited resources," Stuckhold said. "Eliminating the agents of the X files is the only way to ensure we will not have to endure their interference again."

"What about Scully and Jessica Doggett?" the American's voice prompted. "Certainly you don't think that they won't investigate the deaths of their husbands and Agent Reyes."

"I know that voice," Mulder murmured to himself.

As the men conversed, the unseen individual who was filming them was slowly panning each of their faces, and eventually came to rest on the American.

"That's Kersh," Doggett muttered. "Son of a bitch."

"Well this definitively answers the question of whether or not he's actually involved with the Syndicate," Mulder said drolly.

"It would also explain why the Syndicate always seems to be one step ahead of you whenever a case involves them," Scully added.

On the tape, Stuckhold addressed the person who was filming them. "Daniel, I think it would be best if you found somewhere else to clean for a while."

"Certainly, sir," a raspy voice replied, and the man filed out of the room. Once he was alone, he adjusted his hidden camera so that it focused on him, revealing the ravaged face of Jeffrey Spender aka Daniel Miller.

"If anyone other than Special Agent Fox Mulder of the F.B.I. is viewing this tape than it means that I have been discovered and the Syndicate has killed me. However, if you are Agent Mulder and you are seeing this, than it means that I was able to contact you and reveal the whereabouts of your presumed dead brother-in-law, Special Agent John Doggett. It also means that I was able to deliver this tape to Captain Jessica Doggett and she gave it to either you or Agent Doggett. The men that you just saw on this tape a moment ago are the remaining leaders of the group known as the Syndicate, which as we are all aware have been manipulating individuals and governments to serve their purposes for almost half a century. Their names will be revealed to you on a list given to you by a Dr. Frederic Laurent. It is my hope that this tape and that list will help Agent Mulder and Agent Doggett in their quest to uncover who was responsible for trying to kill them last year, and perhaps even eventually cause the Syndicate to disintegrate in its entirety. I wish that I could provide more substantial evidence, but this tape was all that I can manage without further endangering my own life."

With that final remark, the tape ended and the screen went black. Ejecting the tape from the VCR, Mulder removed it from the machine before turning to face the others.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave…" he said to no one in particular.

"Do you really think that tape is going to be of use for anything other than confronting Kersh?" Scully asked of Mulder. "Despite his obvious knowledge of the plans to try and kill you and John, I don't know that it would be enough to convict him in a court of law."

"There are other ways to get justice for Monica's murder," Doggett interjected. "Like usin' the tape to force Kersh to resign and get him the hell out of our lives."

"You make it sound so simple," Jessica replied. "Assuming for the moment that you could convince Kersh to resign based on the tape, then what? The Syndicate won't just sit back and do nothing while you pursue the rest of the men on that tape."

"Probably not," Mulder allowed, "but it may keep them off our backs long enough for us to get some solid evidence to prove they were behind the explosion."

Jessica glanced at Doggett. "May I speak with you privately for a moment?" she requested.

"Sure. Excuse us."

The Doggetts stepped into the hallway, and once they were out of earshot, Scully addressed Mulder. "What do you suppose that's all about?"

"Methinks my little sister isn't happy with the idea of John and me going after the men on the tape," Mulder answered.

Scully half-shrugged. "I can't say that I blame her," she responded. "Frankly I'm surprised she hasn't asked John to quit the X Files entirely."

"The day is still young," Mulder retorted wryly.

In the hallway, Jessica was indeed expressing her displeasure over the most recent turn of events.

"I should have suspected that showing you and Fox the tape would be like pouring gasoline on an open flame," she said. "Do you really think that you can use it to force Kersh and the other men to just sit back and wait for you two to get enough evidence to prosecute them for the warehouse explosion?"

"I don't know," Doggett conceded, "but at the very least we can use it to force Kersh to resign. Once he's gone than maybe the Syndicate won't be ten steps ahead of us all the time and we can actually track those other guys down."

"And then what? They just put their hands up in the air and surrender peacefully? We both know that the minute these men find out you have a visual record of them and that meeting, the targets on our family's backs will increase triple fold."

Knowing Jessica was right, Doggett offered no reply, and she took a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking again.

"I can't do this anymore, John. I can't spend every day of my life looking over my shoulder to see which of our enemies has me in their sights. These people have killed my mother, my brother, Dana's sister, Bill Mulder, Monica, and they very nearly killed you. I don't have the strength to keep riding this emotional roller coaster every time you and Fox get too close to somebody in the Syndicate."

"Are you tellin' me that you want me to quit the X Files?"

"I'm telling you that I don't want you to pursue this case beyond getting Kersh to resign," Jessica corrected. "Maybe that makes me selfish, but frankly at this point I don't care. I won't spend the rest of my life waiting for the Syndicate to kill someone else I love."

"If Mulder and I don't follow through with this, then these guys get away with killin' all those people," Doggett countered evenly.

"If either or both of you are killed while pursuing this then it means my mother died for nothing," Jessica retorted. "Whatever issues we all had with Elizabeth, there's no doubt that she was killed for saving you and telling me about it, even after the fact. I'm asking you to honor that and not continue to make yourself a target."

Doggett released a heavy sigh. "If I do this – if I let this go – then it's because I love you and am tryin' to respect your wishes," he clarified. "I'm sorry that Elizabeth is dead, but she made her own choices when she and Edward Caldwell got involved with these guys before you were born."

"Fair enough."

"I'd better talk to Mulder. Are you gonna stick around until we confront Kersh?"

Jessica shook her head. "No. I should get home to the children. You can give me all the details when you come home tonight."

Doggett nodded. "Then I guess I'll see you tonight."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Husband and wife exchanged a brief kiss before Jessica headed for the elevator and Doggett returned to his office. Noticing his expression, Mulder gave his brother-in-law a knowing smile.

"So did Jessica ask you to quit the X files entirely, or just this case?" he asked.

"She asked me – us - to drop the case once we get Kersh to resign," Doggett answered. "After what happened to Elizabeth she's more worried than ever about one of us bein' the next victim."

"Rightfully so," Scully interjected.

"Et tu, Scully?" Mulder prompted wryly.

"You both have cheated death once, Mulder," Scully said. "I can't say that I think you should press your luck by continuing to go after a group of people who have been manipulating and murdering others at will for over half a century."

Mulder glanced at Doggett. "I hate to admit it, but I think our lovely wives may be right about this one," he told him. "As much as I'd like to bring these bastards down, it's not worth the risk to us or our families. And frankly I don't want to go another round with Jessica if you get taken out."

"Sill lickin' your wounds from last time, no doubt," Doggett responded lightly.

Mulder snorted. "Mock me all you want, but we both know that your military training notwithstanding she could kick your ass into next week if she had sufficient motivation."

"Can't argue with that."

"Do you gentlemen want some company when you confront Kersh?" Scully inquired.

"Thanks for the offer but it's probably best if John and I handle this ourselves," Mulder replied.

"If that's what you want," Scully relented. "I'm going to head over to Quantico to pick up some files and then go home. Good luck with Kersh."

"Thanks, Scully."

Scully retrieved her purse and exited the office as Mulder turned to Doggett. "Well brother-in-law o'mine, shall we go face the lion in his lair?" he prompted.

"Lead the way," Doggett responded.

Mulder grabbed the tape and the men made their way out of their office and up to Kersh's. His personal assistant was not at her desk when they arrived, so they let themselves into his office. Kersh was reading some paperwork when they entered and glanced up expectantly as they approached his desk.

"Gentlemen," he greeted coolly. "I wasn't aware we had a meeting scheduled."

"We do now," Doggett declared.

Mulder lifted the videotape he held in his hand. "There's something on this tape I know you'll want to see," he said and walked over to the small media cabinet on the wall. After turning on the monitor, Mulder slid the cassette into the VCR. Kersh shot him an annoyed glance before shifting his attention to the tape and once he realized what he was watching, his annoyance turned to barely concealed anxiety.

"Where did you get that tape?" he inquired coolly.

Mulder had stopped the playback before Jeffrey Spender's revelation that he was the videographer as he and Doggett had agreed to keep the other man's part in their obtaining the tape a secret.

"Respectfully, sir, that's not your concern," Doggett replied. "The question should be, what are we goin' to do with it?"

"Why don't you skip the semantics and get to the point?" Kersh countered irritably.

"The point is you have 24 hours to tender your resignation – effective immediately – or we take this tape to the Director and the national media within 48 hours," Mulder told him.

"I don't like threats, Agent Mulder," Kersh said tightly.

"Well I don't like waking up every day wondering how your friends in the Syndicate are going to screw with me and mine," Mulder retorted. "All these years you've been riding our asses about our work on the X Files when you've been secretly monitoring it for your own purposes all along. I imagine A.D. Skinner and the Director would be very interested in hearing your explanation for what we just watched on this video."

"That tape proves nothing," Kersh protested.

"Actually it proves that you were at the very least aware that your buddies were goin' to try and take out Monica, Mulder and myself," Doggett responded. "I'm fairly certain that you don't want 'Accessory to Murder' added to your resume."

Kersh shot him an angry glare but said nothing.

"Twenty-four hours, Deputy Director," Mulder repeated pointedly.

Without waiting for a response, Mulder and Doggett left the room.


End file.
